Amrani, Shimon
Son of Romia and Joseph. He was born in Tel Aviv in 1929. After graduating with honors from the Talmud Torah school, he began to study at the Reali School, then went to study at the Teachers College in Jerusalem, where the whole family passed through. His father, who used to call him affectionately: “Shim’oni” in Jerusalem joined the ranks of the Irgun and soon he passed a commanders’ course. With the resumption of his armed anti-British struggle in early 1944, Shimon was one of the first fighters. During the retreat from the attack on the Central Intelligence Agency in Jerusalem on 23 March 1944, he was caught by the British security forces, and after severe wrestling he was taken into the building. He knew that the building was going to explode from the charges left by his friends, but he did not reveal anything to his captors so as not to impede the operation and thus risked his life. Miraculously, he was saved from a blow during the explosion. Afterward he was interrogated and also answered harshly but did not reveal any secrets. He was sentenced to fifteen years’ imprisonment, which was later reduced to 10 years. In prison he was loved by all the prisoners, took care of their affairs and also represented them before the authorities. On the 4th of Iyar, 5707 (1947), the day of the breakup of the Akko prison by the Irgun, Shimon was among the escapees, during which he was seriously injured during an encounter with British army forces and died of his wounds six hours later. In the cemetery of Shavei Tzion near Acre, where his life and heroism were published in “Memories Forever”, Yizkor book for the heroes of the military organization, and in the book “The Chronicles of the War of Independence”.
