Shimon Sofer (1850 – 2 June 1944)[1] was the rabbi of the Hungarian city of Eger (Erlau) and the progenitor of the Erlauer Hasidic dynasty.

[2] In approximately 1875 Sofer returned to Pressburg and married another cousin, Malka Esther Spitzer, with whom he had 13 children.

[1] In 1881, Sofer became rabbi of the Hungarian city of Eger (Erlau)[1][3] where he founded a large yeshiva.

In June, the Germans deported Sofer and his entire community – some 3,000 Jews[4] – to Auschwitz.

Yochanan printed his grandfather's sefarim at the Institute for Research of the Teachings of the Chasam Sofer (Hebrew: מכון חת"ם סופר), which he established and also presided over the Ohel Shimon-Erlau Yeshiva, named in memory of Shimon Sofer.