The second funeral of Sha'alvim alumnus, Rav Shimon Biran Hy"D.
It was a levaya that we never thought would take place.
On August 29th friends and family of our dear talmid, Rav Shimon Biran (Birnbaum) gathered at Har Hazaitim for Rav Shimon's second levaya.
Rav Shimon, who arrived in Israel as a ten year old when his family made aliyah from England, was one of Sha'alvim's prize talmidim. Rav Shimon's unique combination of serious learning, ruach, idealism, and sense of humor caused him to be one of the most respected talmidim in the yeshiva. Following his completion of the Hesder program Rav Shimon continued learning in Sha'alvim's kollel and in 1988 he received semicha from the Rabbanut.
After ten years of learning and living in Sha'alvim Rav Shimon and his wife Michal decided to look for a new idealistic settlement in which they could become active. While they were searching for the right place representatives of the garin Tzofia approached them, asking Rav Shimon to be their Rav and mentor. The garin, however, was a garin without a yishuv. At first the regional council of Gush Katif approached the group with a proposal that they settle a new area within Atzmona, however Rav Shimon and the members of the garin were afraid that this would cause them to simply become part of Atzmona. Therefore, when a new proposal emerged, the renewal of Kfar Darom which fell into Arab hands in 1948, it was accepted with much enthusiasm. In September of 1989 the Israeli government decided that twelve families would move into the yishuv renewing Kfar Darom.
Kfar Darom thrived under the brilliant leadership of Rav Biran, however on May 27, 1992 Kfar Darom and Klal Yisrael suffered an enormous loss when Rav Shimon was ambushed by an Arab terrorist who stabbed him in the back as he crossed the road in front of Kfar Darom to the Machon HaTorah V'Ha'aretz. Rav Shimon was one of the first Jews to be buried in Gush Katif. Sadly enough, once again his wife and children had to relive the tragic events.
As Rav Shimon's wife, Michal (Lichtenstein), said at the levaya, we leave Rav Shimon in his final resting place today and hope that his neshoma can finally rest in peace.