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20 April 6 • 2017 jn ily. He wanted to provide a nice home and outstanding Jewish and secular educations for his children and, once that was accomplished, his greatest plea- sure came from giving his money away to people and organiza- tions that needed his help. He had no use for luxury cars, designer suits or five-star restau- rants; it was people rather than possessions that were important. He drove older cars, refused to fly first-class and met his friends for lunch at casual restaurants. He took great delight in finding bar- gains at the local dollar store. He took the same attitude with his sons growing up, providing what they needed but not to the point of over-indulgence. "He wanted us to have enough, but he didn't want us to have too much," David said. Giving away millions of dol- lars did not change the relation- ships he had with his family and friends; he always lived frugally and by his own standards of what was important. GIVING WAS A JOY While he spent years as a quiet yet consistent donor to a variety of causes, the sale of Lannett provided him the means to make even more substantial gifts, contributions that would transform the lives of organizations and people within the community and else- where. According to Stacey Deweese, director of the Jewish Community Endowment Fund for Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, the Farbers' gifts to Federation totaled $45 million, making them among the largest donors in Federation history. Through their work together, Deweese formed a close friendship with Bill, enjoying weekly lunches where they talked about "any- thing and everything." "It was one of the best experi- ences of my professional life, a once-in-a-career relation- ship," Deweese said. "Bill and Audrey's philanthropy, in large part to Federation's Centennial Fund, has fundamentally changed our community. It has literally opened the doors for generations to come." One of his earliest and proudest major philanthropic achievements was to Akiva Day School, now known as Farber Hebrew Day School. Although Bill was a Reform Jew, he liked the Zionist bent of the school and saw it as a vehicle to attract more Modern Orthodox fami- lies to the area. What was origi- nally intended to be a "band- aid" for the old school building turned into an $8 million gift to build a new 69,000 square-foot building that includes state-of- the-art technology, student col- laboration hubs, multiple sci- ence labs and a variety of other enhancements. Days before he passed away, Bill went to visit the Farber Hebrew Day School, the place where he began his philan- thropic journey. "He wanted to see the kids," said Rabbi Harold Loss of Temple Israel, where the Farbers belonged. "It wasn't about the building. His happi- est moments were when he was surrounded by the kids." While Bill was exceedingly generous, he was also extremely careful about the gifts he chose to make. He wanted to be sure an organization was viable and sustainable before he agreed to be a donor. For that reason, he was skeptical when presented with an idea for an art studio and restaurant to be staffed by young adults with special needs under the auspices of Friendship Circle of Michigan. Motivated by son David and his wife, Nanci, longtime Friendship Circle supporters, and his faith in the organiza- tion's leaders, Rabbi Levi and Bassie Shemtov, Bill agreed to fund what is now the Farber Soul Center and Soul Cafe in West Bloomfield. Once the cen- ter opened, Bill took great plea- sure in admiring the artwork in the gallery and meeting friends in the cafe. "It became one of his favorite places to hang out," David said. His favorite menu item, blin- tzes, was renamed "Billintzes" in his honor. "Bill was a frequent visitor to the center that carried his name," Levi Shemtov said. "He loved engaging with the people whose lives he transformed, and we loved watching him enjoy the well-deserved nachas [ joy]." in memoriam jews d in the "He wanted to make transformational gifts while he was alive. He made a huge impact in a short amount of time by design." — Nanci Farber continued from page 18 continued on page 22 COURTESY HILLEL DAY SCHOOL ABOVE: William "Bill" Farber was happy surrounded by students at Hillel Day School, where he and wife, Audrey (by his side), gave generously to create the school's IDEA Lab and also extensive interior renovations that transformed the school into a 21st-century learning center. RIGHT: Bill and Audrey Farber. AARON PERGAMENT