metro >> on the cover
Heart & Soul
Stephanie Harris and Ian Zerkel are
hard at work in the Friendship Circle
art studio, along with facilitator Jeremy
Harvey. Their work will be created,
shown and sold at the new Farber Soul
Center in West Bloomfield.
Farber Soul
Center will give
art, food service
experiences to
young adults
with special
needs.
Ronelle Grier
Contributing Writer
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
of Michigan. "This new phase in our his-
tory will allow us to address their growing
needs:'
According to Shemtov, the facility will
have two components: the Soul Studio and
the Soul Cafe. The studio will provide a
safe, friendly and nurturing environment
where as many as 50 adults at a time can
discover and cultivate their artistic talent
and share their creations with the commu-
nity in the Soul Gallery. Cutting-edge digital
arts, such as photography, animation and
3D printing, as well as painting, ceramics,
weaving, jewelry and mixed media will be
represented — and art will be for sale.
The Soul Cafe will provide training and
employment for adults with special needs
who are interested in culinary arts and
food service. Shemtov foresees it as a place
where members of the community will
gather to enjoy kosher food in a special
environment.
"It's a place where you bring your soul,
and your soul will be touched," he said.
"It's a natural continuation of our pro-
gramming."
The Farber Soul Center will be housed
in a now-empty building located in the
shopping center on the southwest cor-
ner of Drake and Walnut Lake roads in
West Bloomfield. It is being designed
by Neumann/Smith Architecture in
Southfield, and will take approximately
nine months to a year to complete,
Shemtov said.
Current plans for the studio include
eight separate pods where artists can
experiment with computers, printmaking
equipment, looms, pottery wheels and
other media.
Generous Donors
The Farber Soul Center will be named for
the donors whose $2.1 million matching
gift is making it possible: William "Bill"
and Audrey Farber of West Bloomfield.
When Farber learned about the proposed
project, he wanted to help it come to frui-
tion.
"Bill feels strongly about giving back to
the community; he is incredibly generous
but very humble," said his daughter-in-law
Nancy Farber, who lives in Franklin with
her husband, David. "He believes in trans-
formational giving, and he could clearly
see how beneficial this would be:'
One of Jewish Senior Life's 2014 Eight
Over Eighty honorees, Farber is known
for his generosity to numerous local
causes and organizations. He has made
recent major gifts to Temple Israel in
West Bloomfield, Hillel Day School in
Farmington Hills and Yeshivat Akiva in
Southfield, among others.
Nancy's husband, David, owner of
Detroit Popcorn, is also a longtime
Friendship Circle supporter. He said his
involvement has given him an appreciation
of the challenges faced by parents of chil-
dren with special needs, even seemingly
simple events like eating in a restaurant.
"You can't find a better organization
[than Friendship Circle] that cares more
about the children," he said.
The family is in the process of setting
up the Bill and Audrey Farber Foundation,
which will continue the legacy of chari-
table giving.
"I'm honored we can be part of this,"
said David Farber. "It's an exciting time for
us and for our family:'
According to Shemtov, Friendship Circle
had a fundraising goal of $4.2 million,
which includes the estimated cost of the
new facility and the remainder of the debt
owed on the current Ferber Kaufman
Lifetown Building on the Meer Family
Friendship Campus in West Bloomfield.
At press time, the organization was about
$480,000 short of its goal, including the
$2.1 million donation from the Farbers,
plus gifts from other individuals and busi-
nesses, which will be named at a later date.
Growing Needs
According to Lifetown Director Bassie
Shemtov, the idea for the Soul Center arose
from the need to provide vocationally
oriented programs for Friendship Circle's
young adult population.
"We've had a 112 percent growth rate
over the past three years," she said. "We
can't expand the [Lifetown] building, so
Heart & Soul on page 10
8 June 5 • 2014