SHMUEL DREYER

SHMUEL DREYER (March 4, 1895-July 1941)

            He was born in the town of Choroszcz, near Bialystok, Poland.  He studied in religious primary school and secular high school.  In 1924 he graduated from the law faculty in Vilna.  In the same year he was a delegate from the Vilna independent socialist academic group to the world Jewish congress in Antwerp.  Until WWII he was active in Vilna in Jewish community life.  From October 1939 until early 1941, he was in Bialystok, later returning to Vilna.  He began publishing in Dos naye lebn (The new life) in Bialystok, circa 1918-1919.  In 1921 became a regular contributor to Tog (Day) in Vilna.  He published articles on politics and also on Jewish community themes.  He also places pieces in the following publications: Farn yidishn akademiker (For the Jewish academic) (Vilna, 1922); Frayer gedank (Free thought) (Vilna, 1924); Der shtern (The star) (Bialystok, 1939-1940); Emes (Truth) (Kovno-Vilna, 1941), and others.  He also wrote under such pen names as: Sh. Fray and Shem.  During the German occupation of Russia, in July 1941 he went on foot to his family in Bialystok.  He was killed by the Germans on the road between the town of Radoszkowieze and Bialystok.

Sources: Zalmen Reyzen, Leksikon, vol. 1; Sh. Katsherginski, in Tsukunft (New York) (1946); Katsherginski, Khurbn vilne (The Holocaust in Vilna) (New York, 1947), p. 188; Yidishe shriftn (Lodz) (1946), p. 1; Lite (New York), vol. 1, pp. 1149-50.