This Week
Rising From The Communal Trenches
University of Michigan led to the
manufacturing institute that bears his
name on the Ann Arbor campus.
"The major portion of my time
has been spent on behalf of the
Jewish people," Tauber said. What all
the [past and present] titles have
EARLY EXPERIENCE
done for me is give me a greater
Tauber's personal and professional expe-
opportunity to make a difference and
riences combined to make him an excel-
change things to make things better
lent choice to pull elements together for
—
to change destiny."
the UJC, say those who know him.
Tauber
began to participate in
Born in Detroit, Tauber began his
Federation's
young adult division
business career after six months as a
during
his
brief
stint at Honigman,
practicing attorney in 1959. He was
Miller,
Schwartz
and Cohn. He
given his first company to run by for-
became
president
of the Jewish
mer father-in-law, Barney Keywell.
Community
Center,
treasurer of the
"My family was mainly judges or
Jewish Family
lawyers, so I was never
Service and, from
going to be a fireman or a
1983 to 1986,
policeman. I was always
president of the
going to be a lawyer," he
Jewish Federation
said. "By the second year
of Metropolitan
of law school, I realized
Detroit.
my direction lay more in
Tauber said the
the administrative, hands-
one defining
on operating of a busi-
moment of his vol-
ness, but I wanted to
unteer work was his
have the:legal experience
1970s visit to
for a short time."
Mauthausen, a
Running Key
German concentra-
, Manufacturing, a nut
tion camp in
\and bolt maker, showed
Austria.
Taubler that he lacked
"They described
training. It forced him to
100 ways to kill
think on his feet.
Jews, and I said,
::A law and MBA
`This can never
degree didn't do much
happen again.'
good," he said. "An
Before, I was just
engineering degree
doing things to be
would have helped."
active. Once I went
The lesson he learned
there, I knew why I
was simple: "If you want
was doing them."
to be successful, make
Said local
om top ;le Tauber in Israel on the Federation Prime Minister's
sure you're well prepared
Federation leader
7.
Detroiters
Joel
7izuber
and
Max
Fisher
with
Israeli
Prime
in whatever you're
David Page of
azhak Rabin at a tIJA fund-raiser in New York, 1992. Tauber,
doing. That goes from
ewish
Campaign
chair,
with
Temple
Israel
students,
19$3.
.,Tauber
Bloomfield Hills, a
J
running a company to
s a Jewish Welfitre Federation dinner, 1964.
former law associ-
making a speech," he
. ate and Tauber
said from his 18th-floor
friend for 42 years: "It's a matter of
ulous person with the family.
Southfield office. The walls are lined
principle for him that he believes in
"He
takes
everyone
on
family
vaca-
with memorable moments in his
the Jewish people, and the survival
tions, and I mean everyone, right
evorVing role as a Jewish communal
and prospering of the JeWish people,
down
to
the
nannies
for
the
grand-
leader. "Do the homework, do the
and he wants to do whatever he can
children," she said. "When he walks
research and make sure you know
to promote that."
through
the
door
at
night,
he's
just
what you're doing," he said.
Tauber has known David
`Mister
Calm
and
Pleasant.'"
Tauber now runs many companies,
Hermelin
since they were 7. "He's a
Tauber
wears
his
success
well.
His
including plants that manufacture
visionary,"
said Hermelin, who
clothes
are
tailored;
his
15,000-
plastics for the auto and computer
recently stepped down as U.S.
square-foot
home
in
Aspen,
Colo.,
industries.
ambassador to Norway. He said
and his 1,450-square-foot bedroom
His office walls resemble a wall of
"Tauber
is "respected by the different
renovation
in
his
West
Bloomfield
fame, with labeled pictures of him
generations,
by his peers, by the
home
were
featured
in
the
1999
holi-
teeing off with President Bill Clinton,
senior
leadership
and by the"profes-
magazine.
Style
day
issue
of
and standing next to world leaders,
sionals.
He
gains
respect from people
But he also shares his wealth.
dignitaries and celebrities. They
around
him
—
and
that's a major
include the late Israeli Prime Minister
quality."
PHILANTHROPIC CIRCLES
Yitzhak Rabin, the late King Hussein
A $5.5 million donation to the
NEW GUARD on page 16
of Jordan, Palestinian Authority
to each other and to - the system.
"The.message will be: 'Here are
some models. You decide how to run
it, and we'll put it into the bylaws and
. you'll have to live with it,"' he said.
271 WEST MAPLE
DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM
248.258.0212
ikr
Monday-Saturday 10-6
Thursday 10-9
Chairman Yasser Arafat and former
Detroit Piston star Isiah Thomas.
Tauber has five children from his
two marriages, and eight grandchildren.
Earning a living, physical fitness,
charity and social life, in that order,
rank below family, which is the No. 1
priority in his life, he said.
Tauber follows his priorities to the let-
ter. The amount of time spent on each
may change, but not the order, he said.
"He's Type A except that he can
always stop what he's doing, separate
and, with a tremendous sense of pri-
ority, his family will always come
first," said Shelley Tauber, his wife of
15 years. "He's the calmest, most fab-
"
1/28
2000
12
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