Yaal Silberberg

Yaal Silberberg died March 9, 2026. He was as hardy as he was stubborn, and he was just short of 91 years hardy. In Israel in fractious youth he found freedom in a maritime scout group, then sailed the seas as a radio officer on cargo ships and love boats, encountering exciting adventures—many unprintable here, even in morse code. But eventually he settled down in Houston and taught Hebrew at Beth Yeshurun and math in public schools. (Houston doesn’t speak Hebrew so well, however math is still widely in use, a triumph of his belief in education.) He even took his own advice, attending the U of H and earning a Doctorate in Public Health. He worked for decades at the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, helping doctors launch their careers. He retired in ‘95 with a distinguished service award. Yaal struggled with Multiple Sclerosis for many years. He suffered from anger, but was never afraid to say I love you or show it. He watched videos of ships confronting stormy seas. He believed in science and the arts. He had great taste. He loved chocolate and Twix. He played the lottery and lost money consistently, but never hope. He had few boundaries in conversation, for better or worse. He was a secular guy, but tortured his bible study classmates and rabbis religiously. He loved to joke and flirt. He respected women. He loved kids. He is survived by sons Adam and Jonathan, and Jonathan’s wife Leslie and children, Ray and Sidney. They thank all Yaal’s caregivers and medical professionals and encourage them to keep advancing. At birth Yaal’s parents commissioned a poet to pick his name. “Ya-al” is the last word of the Tanakh, the Old Testament. It means “to rise up.” There’s a graveside service noon Tuesday, March 31 at Emanu El Memorial Park. If you feel the spirit, consider a donation to the MS Society: https://donate.nationalmssociety.org/campaigns/Yaal-Silberberg-Memorial-Fund

Yaal Silberberg

March 17, 1935 - March 9, 2026