I recall when I was in elementary school I asked my parents a question they could not answer. They suggested I call Zaidie, which I did. He immediately told me the Gemara discussed this question, and where and what the three answers were. Any serious questions that arose were addressed to Zaidie, and he always had the answer and the source. This important quality I witnessed in the leader of our family has helped me form the direction of my life.
Toward the end of Zaidie’s life he was confined to a wheelchair. My family spent Pesach that year with Bubbie and Zaidie in the Homowack hotel. Often I would wheel Zaidie to and from his room. Whenever we got into the elevator to go upstairs, Zaidie would tell me that the Gemara tells us we must always be “ascending in kedushah and not descending.” Zaidie saw everything in life through the prism of the Gemara. And that has left an indelible impression on me.
Unfortunately, I was not zocheh to learn with Zaidie in a serious manner. But nevertheless his image has aided me in achieving my goals in learning.
Recently, I commenced the sixth year of writing a weekly column for The Jewish Press, the paper Zaidie founded. People who worked at the paper with Zaidie have told me he would often tell them that “The Jewish Press is a Torah publication” and that they should make sure advertisers and others knew it. I feel privileged to be able to contribute to the Torah content of the paper. This opportunity has granted me the ability to teach Torah to tens of thousands of people every week. I have no doubt that without having a great-grand father to emulate, this task would be virtually impossible.
But this pursuit has borne more fruit. Just short of three years ago I began my own Torah publication, called The Kuntris. The Kuntris is a monthly Torah magazine replete with in-depth intellectual Torah articles. Shortly after its inception I was asked how I had the “chutzpah” to open my own magazine. I simply answered that my great-grand father was Rabbi Sholom Klass zt”l. The inquirer quickly understood that indeed I did have a “right” to publish my own Torah magazine, since my great-grand father began the first English-language Torah newspaper in America. I definitely credit The Jewish Press and Zaidie for giving me the skills and ability to publish The Kuntris magazine.
For this and for the example he set forth for me, I am grateful to have such a Zaidie. May your memory be a blessing, and may you continue to be a maylitz yosher for our family and all of Klal Yisrael, amen.
Chani Heyman
I had the merit to know my Zaidie Sholom for the first 13 years of my life. Since his passing I am left with memories of the enjoyable times we had together. Most of them are from summers in the Homowack. I can picture Zaidie sitting next to Bubbie at the head of the table with their backs against the sunny windows. So regal – like the king and queen of their large family that filled the tables. I was so proud to be part of their table.
When we would visit him in his home we could always find Zaidie in his study sitting at his desk with different sefarim open in front of him. When we would knock and come in he would sit us on his lap and speak so gently to us.
I remember playing in the living room adjacent to the study where he was learning. Today, being a parent, baruch Hashem, of four exuberant boys (one named after him), I realize even more what a baal middos Zaidie was. I can only imagine the noise we kids made in the quiet, peaceful setting of Zaidie’s study. Yet I don’t recall Zaidie ever yelling at us. I don’t even remember him ever telling us to be quiet.