Siegfried (Shimon) Hirsch was born on December 14, 1905 in Hohensalza, Germany and died in 1979 in Rishon LeZion, Israel. Between 1921-1923 he completed a commercial apprenticeship (women's fashion) and worked there as an employee until 1928. In 1922, he also attended a weaving school and from 1924-1925 he studied at the business high school Berlin. Between 1929-1931, Hirsch attended the social political seminary of the University of Politics, Berlin, where he graduated as a social worker. He wrote his final project about decision-making (Willensbildung) and types of social communities as basics of social pedagogy (Prof. Carl Mennicke). From 1930-31 he studied music education at the youth music university (Prof. Jöde). He was also a leader in the Jewish youth movement (Kameraden) between 1921-1928, and did volunteer work with elderly between 1923-24. Hirsch did several internships as part of his training for social work: legal protection work at the welfare office Berlin-Kreuzberg, family welfare work at the welfare office Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg, where he also did youth counseling, and engaged in the areas of special education, guardianship, housing for apprentices, and youth movement. Furthermore, he was in charge of employment counseling and qualification tests at the employment office Berlin-Mitte, and worked in the youth-sanatorium of Dr. Jaemann in Nordhausen. From 1932-33 he attended a course at the institute for psychoanalysis Berlin. From 1931-32, he was employed as a social worker at the youth home Wolzig. In 1933, he headed the central Jewish youth home Berlin and worked as a social worker in the center for economic aid. He immigrated to Palestine in 1934.
Hirsch applied for a job in social work in Tel Aviv, but has not been placed. Instead, he enlisted in the Haganah (Defense) in Beer Yaakov. In 1936, he settled down in Rishon LeZion. He became a manager of a pension fund in Tel Aviv and later worked for the Histadrut (General Organization of Workers in Israel). He was married to Lili Treiser and the couple had two sons.