Publisher.
Born at Mogilev [today Mahilyov], Belarus on 19 April 1885, he came to Winnipeg in 1905. In 1911 he established the Yiddish language Israelite Press (Dos Yiddishe Vort), the first Jewish newspaper in western Canada. He was also active in the local Jewish community, a leader of the Arbeiter Ring School and later the I. L. Peretz School. He became President of Universal Printers when it was founded in 1949, remaining head of the company until its sale and his retirement in 1960.
He married Gitel “Katie” Levin (1889-1962) and they had eight children: David Simkin (1913-1972), Pearl Josephine Simkin (1914-1963), Jenny Simkin (1916-1993), Anne Chana Simkin (1917-1998), Solomon Simkin (1920-1978), Rubin Simkin (1921-1978), Eleanor “Ellie” Simkin (1929-2002), and Hannah Simkin. In 1974, in recognition of his ommunity service, he was inducted into the Manitoba Order of the Buffalo Hunt.
He died at Winnipeg on 20 April 1983 and was buried in the Hebrew Sick Benefit Cemetery.
See also:
Manitoba Business: Israelite Press / Universal Printers
Birth registrations [David Simkin, Pearl Simkin, Jennie Simkin, Annie Simkin, Salomon Simkin, Reuben Simkin], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 21 April 1983, page 66.
Dictionary of Manitoba Biography by John M. “Jack” Bumsted, Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, December 1999, 288 pages.
Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.
We thank Nathan Kramer and Daniel Stone for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 23 March 2026
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