ZALMEN-BOREKH KAMEYKA (SOLOMON BARUCH KOMAIKO)

ZALMEN-BOREKH KAMEYKA (SOLOMON BARUCH KOMAIKO) (February 15, 1879-April 29, 1957)

            He was born in Aniksht (Anyksciai), Lithuania, the descendant of a well-to-do family.  He made his way to the United States in 1889.  He contributed to: Idisher herald (Jewish herald), Folks-advokat (People’s advocate), Yidishes tageblat (Jewish daily newspaper), Chicago’s Idisher kuryer (Jewish courier), Amerikaner (American), Di idishe velt (The Jewish world), and Di velt (The world) in Vilna.  Over the years 1938-1944, he published every Sunday in Idisher kuryer his memoirs under the title “Vos ikh gedenk” (What I recall), primarily concerning his meetings with well-known Jewish personalities.  From 1913 he was involved mostly with his business in Chicago.  In book form: Idishe velten, ertseylungen, skitsen un bilder (Jewish worlds, stories, sketches, and images) (Chicago, 1912), 200 pp.  The stories were realistic images drawn from the old country and the new.  He died in Miami, Florida.

Sources: Zalmen Reyzen, Leksikon, vol. 3; D. Tidhar, in Entsiklopedyah leḥalutse hayishuv uvonav (Encyclopedia of the pioneers and builders of the yishuv), vol. 7 (Tel Aviv, 1956), p. 2849; Yeshurin archive, YIVO (New York).

Yekhezkl Lifshits