March 6, 1927 - December 16, 2017
Henry Falkenberg passed away at the Jewish Home in San Francisco on December 16, 2017. He and his parents were survivors of the Nazi Holocaust. They arrived in San Francisco in 1942 and joined the large, orthodox shul, Congregation Keneseth Israel. Henry attended Galileo High School, and also the orthodox Talmud Torah school. There he learned with his esteemed rebbe who had been trained in the Volozhin Yeshiva in Russia. Henry studied physics at UC Berkeley and worked for Atlas Insurance for 25 years, but his main life was in Torah. In the 1970's, Henry became steward of Keneseth Israel, moving it downtown to serve travelers. Unfailingly for decades, Henry taught Torah classes to students of all ages and abilities, led services, hosted Shabbat and holiday meals, and led lively discussions on Torah, Israel, and Jewish life. He was inspiring and beloved. He is survived by two cousins, friends and students. Henry Falkenberg, Yehoshua ben Aharon, z"l, was buried at Eternal Home Cemetery in Colma. He was cared for with compassion by staff at the Jewish Home and his social worker from JCFS.