Seventy-eight year-old HaRav Avraham Shrim, director of the
Porat Yosef yeshiva network, was niftar last week in
Jerusalem. Born in 5683 (1923), he was the son of HaRav Ezra
Shrim and the grandson of HaRav Yitzchak Shrim, one of
Jerusalem's well-known rabbonim.
In 5708 (1948), the Porat Yosef yeshiva in the Old City of
Jerusalem fell into the hands of the Jordanian Legion, along
with its branches and its rare library. The yeshiva was
forced to relocate to various synagogues in Western
Jerusalem. The rabbonim and the students were scattered in
various locations. HaRav Ezra Shrim and his son HaRav
Avraham eventually built permanent quarters to house the
yeshiva there.
In his concern for Klal Yisroel, Reb Avraham
encouraged and urged his friends in the yeshiva to assume
rabbinical positions in Jewish communities in Eretz Yisroel
and abroad. He appointed rabbonim to positions in central as
well as outlying cities, such as Rechovot, Magdiel, Acco,
Eilat, Netanya, Ashdod, Kiryat Ono, Kfar Sava, Rishon
Letzion, Petach Tikvah and scores of other cities and
settlements. Many of the finest rabbonim from the yeshiva
who went to the United States, England, Argentina, Panama,
Columbia, Peru and other places were helped, encouraged and
advised by Reb Avraham.
He was genuinely concerned for the Jewish communities in the
Diaspora, bitterly decrying assimilation and the loss of
Torah and Jewish values. "Who will be taken to task for
this?" he would ask. "Who can say: `My hands did not spill
this blood'?"
When thousands of youth from the Diaspora made aliyah, HaRav
Shrim decided to seek the help of his colleagues, HaRav
Shimon Badani and HaRav Shalom Cohen, and together they
founded a branch of the yeshiva in Jerusalem's old Katamon
neighborhood. Energetically, he organized buildings and
dormitory rooms in order to absorb hundreds of arriving
youngsters. Today, most of that first wave of students are
gedolei haTorah in Eretz Yisroel and abroad.
In 5714 (1954), a suitable plot of land was found near the
Geula neighborhood of Jerusalem. HaRav Avraham, along with
his father HaRav Ezra, established a communal committee
called Vaad Keren Habinyan to assist in building the
yeshiva. The great rabbonim of the time appealed to Jews all
over to donate no less than the cost of one stone -- costing
one lira -- to construction of the yeshiva. HaRav
Yehuda Tzadka went to London to raise funds, and HaRav
Avraham and his father to America and Europe. The
cornerstone was laid in 5714, and the building was dedicated
a few years later.
Maintaining the yeshiva involved seeing to the needs of a
yeshiva of 30 mekubalim, a kollel of 250
avreichim, 30 staff members, including ramim
and mashgichim, and 1000 students. The entire burden
was shouldered by HaRav Ezra Shrim and his son, HaRav
Avraham. Regarding HaRav Avraham's mesirus nefesh on
behalf of the yeshiva, HaRav Ben Tsion Mutzafi related:
"HaRav Avraham once said, `My wife hasn't heard
kiddush from me on Rosh Hashanah night for fifteen
years, because at this time I am always abroad seeing to the
overall maintenance of the yeshiva."
With the petirah of HaRav Ezra in 5723 (1963), the
entire maintenance of the yeshiva fell onto the shoulders of
Rav Avraham and his brother. In 5727 (1967), when the Old
City was recaptured, Rav Avraham waged a stubborn war with
the authorities to transfer ownership of the plot and the
ruins of the yeshiva to him, and then another battle with
the Antiquities Authority, which wanted to conduct
excavations on the site. Many battles were waged with
municipal and regional committees as well. HaRav Avraham
hired world- renowned architects, and together with them
planned every detail of the complex of the yeshiva in the
Old City.
In addition to his dedication to the yeshiva, he was well
known for his many remarkable acts of chesed, about
which he told no one.
Last week, he returned his pure soul to its Maker, and was
accompanied on his last earthly journey by a large throng of
current and former students of Porat Yosef. Hespedim
were delivered by HaRav Shmuel Betzalel, HaRav Shalom Cohen,
HaRav Yehuda Mu'alem, HaRav Yehuda Addes, HaRav Moshe
Tzadka, HaRav Eliyahu Shrim, the niftar's brother and
HaRav Mordechai Shrim, the niftar's son.
He is survived by two sons and three daughters, as well as
by sons-in-laws and grandchildren, all of whom are pursuing
Torah's path.
