Aviva Brin Shimrat

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our mother, Aviva Brin Shimrat. 

Aviva passed away on Saturday the 11th of May 2024 at around 22h00 at the Grossmont Gardens Assisted Living in San Diego, where she has been for the past 6 years.

Aviva had just turned 89 on the 3rd of May, and passed away on the eve of Mother's day. 

She is survived by her two beloved children, Ofer and Shlomit, and beloved grandchildren Alexander, Maximilian and Samantha and their beloved mom Bonnie Ann Shimrat and Shlomit's beloved longtime companion Jean-Pierre.

Aviva was born in Tel-Aviv in 1935.

Her parents with her 2 brothers and sister escaped Poland in 1932 when the Nazi regime became a menace for Jews.

First, they moved to Egypt and then to Israel in 1935 (still called Palestine in 1935) where Aviva was born.

During the holocaust, her entire extended family was exterminated in Auschwitz, family that unfortunately, Aviva never got to know.

Her father had noble French blood (going back to 1635 in Saint Malo) and her mother had aristocratic Russian blood.

Since both her parents died when Aviva was young, (age 11 for her mother and age 21 for her father), it was her beloved older sister Françoise Hulles (Zipora, meaning bird in Hebrew) that stimulated Aviva for travel and exploring new countries and cultures.

Aviva married Naftali Shimrat in Paris and then lived in London where their son Ofer was born in 1959. Later they moved back to Israel where their daughter Shlomit was born in 1962.

Aviva and Naftali and their 2 children were transferred by the United Nations (for whom Naftali worked at the time) from Tel-Aviv to Caracas, Venezuela in 1966, where she served as Secretary to the Israeli Ambassador in Venezuela. 

However, Aviva's true passion was transmitting knowledge to the young generation. 

She left her diplomatic post in Caracas and became a teacher of Jewish studies (Hebrew, bible, Jewish history).

She was extremely proud of her students, both in Caracas and in San Diego, who often elected her best teacher ever. 

Over the years she had hundreds of students, mostly teenagers whom she adored teaching and transmitting knowledge and values.

There is one student named Jason that she especially adored and so often spoke about his intelligence, humanity, humor, honesty and candidness.

Aviva was an absolutely gorgeous woman, extremely cultured, worldly, funny, naïve, nostalgic of a different world, not living in her era...always a lady.

Aviva's roots were always planted in her indelible Jewish faith and she will forever be the fruit of Israel, a true Sabra (meaning person born in Israel).

May Aviva rest in peace and finally join her beloved parents, sister and brothers.

As per Aviva's request, no funeral or memorial service will be held.

 Your comments, photos, videos are more than welcome and we thank you in advance

If you wish to know more about Aviva, she has written and published a book called "Aviva's Crossings", A Sabra's Tales and Memories. The link to the book is as follows: