Herbert Dreyer

Herbert Dreyer of Newton, Massachusetts passed away on Thursday, April 16th after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Born October 1, 1945, Herb grew up in northeast Philadelphia with his father Daniel, mother Jean, and sister Selma. He attended Northeast High School and went to Gratz College for Hebrew studies. When he was 16, he went on the first Ramah Seminar to Israel where he met his future wife, Carol Wool.
Herb attended college at the Columbia-Jewish Theological Seminary Joint Program. He became deeply involved in the anti-war movement and Students for a Democratic Society, and was one of the leaders of the Columbia strike in 1968. He continued his anti-war efforts at a coffee house near Fort Dix, New Jersey and eventually found his calling to fight injustice and serve those in need by becoming a doctor. From 1970-73, he attended City College where he finished his college degree and pre-med requirements. Herb then went to New York Medical College (1973-1976) and interned at DC General Hospital.
He and Carol married in 1977, and moved to Massachusetts. He then completed a residency in internal medicine at the Faulkner Hospital. After residency, he began his 40 year long tenure at Dimock Community Health Center in Roxbury, providing care to an underserved community. During his tenure, he served as the medical director of the clinic and saw patients until he retired in 2016.
After retirement, Herb pursued his life-long love of literature by learning French. He studied at Boston University for 15 years, eventually taking all the graduate level courses in the department. He also read Hebrew literature, particularly enjoying the work of S.Y. Agnon. Throughout his life Herb was an active member of the Newton Center/Walnut Street Minyan community. He loved hiking, biking, and being in nature, as well as funny (and not so funny) puns. He was a caring and loving husband to Carol, father to Miriam and Naomi, and a playful and silly Zeydah to his grandsons.
Herb is survived by his wife of 49 years, Carol Wool; daughters Miriam Dreyer (Jacob Vincent) and Naomi Dreyer; grandsons Nathan and Jonah Vincent; and sister Selma (Walter) Brown.
Services Sunday, April, 19, 2026 at 11AM at the Walnut Street Minyan, 858 Walnut St., Newton, MA. Interment to follow at Polonnoe Cemetery, 776 Baker St., West Roxbury, MA.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his honor to World Central Kitchen, The New Israel Fund, or Dimmock Community Health Center.