Shamesh - (Hebrew: shamesh - warden, gabbai) - a synagogue caretaker. His duties include cleaning the synagogue, keeping prayer books in order, preparing Torah scrolls, lighting candles before Shabbat, helping rabbis and chazzans. In Eastern Europe, s. used to walk round the houses of community members, waking men up for prayers. The term s. also denoted an additional candle from which other lights in the lamp and Hanukkah candlesticks are lit.

Renata Piątkowska

Quoted after: Tomaszewski J., Żbikowski A., Żydzi w Polsce. Dzieje i kultura. Leksykon[Jews in Poland - Their History and Culture. A Lexicon], Warsaw 2001.