John Hardwick

Nancy Shamie and
Doreen Hermelin
presented
Federation’s
annual student
leadership award
to Nathaniel
Faber from Akiva
Hebrew Day
School.

Young Leader

Akiva senior Nathaniel Faber
earns 2015 Hermelin Award.

Vivian Henoch | Special to the Jewish News

H

is teachers describe him as an
exemplary student, a natural
leader, a consensus builder
and a role model. His favorite subjects
in school? Biology, calculus and Talmud.
With plans to study next year in Israel, he
dreams of becoming a doctor. Or a rabbi.
Or perhaps even both.
“That’s a lot of schooling,” he admits.
But at 17, he has demonstrated he has the
mind and heart to pursue his goals.
This is Nathaniel Faber — “Nati” as his
friends and family call him — a senior at
Akiva Hebrew Day School in Southfield
and the recipient of the prestigious 2015
David Hermelin Scholarship Award.
Sponsored by Sam and Nancy Shamie,
the annual David Hermelin Scholarship
Award was established in 2008 to honor
the memory of David Hermelin, a beloved
philanthropist, business entrepreneur and
U.S. ambassador to Norway (1997-2000).
Award recipients receive a full-year tuition
scholarship of $12,000 in their junior
or senior year at a Jewish day school
affiliated with the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit.
Though academic achievement
is a factor, the scholarship primarily
recognizes young people who show great
potential to follow in Hermelin’s footsteps.
His wife, Doreen, is a member of the
scholarship selection committee.
“The scholarship was my husband
Sam’s way of keeping David’s legacy
alive,” Nancy Shamie says. “Those of us
who had the great privilege of knowing
David remember how he could walk into
a room and light it up with his energy,
his sense of fun and community spirit.
David was our cheerleader. He used his
charisma to inspire others to do great
things. When we look at the young people
we have recognized since establishing
the award, we see those same qualities
emerging and coming to fruition to the
benefit of our community.”
Sam Shamie said, “David Hermelin
was one of the giants of our community, a
great ambassador and diplomat. He was a
fervent supporter of Jewish education and
would often say to us, that if he had but
one wish, it would be that he could play
a part to translate his joy of being Jewish

to all people. It is my hope the David
Hermelin Scholarship Award continues
to set the bar in our high schools and to
inspire the highest levels of leadership and
achievement in our students.”
An Akiva student since preschool, Nati
is the youngest son of Karyn and Mark
Faber of Southfield. He has three siblings
and notes with pride all are Akiva alumni.
As part of the application process
for the scholarship, Nati wrote an essay
describing his vision of leadership.
“Leadership can be an everyday,
moment-by-moment opportunity for
anyone,” he writes. “Sometimes it is about
changing someone’s day, hour or just one
moment in their life. Everyone has the
chance to be an informal leader.”
Jordana Wolfson, Akiva’s Interim CEO,
says, “Nati Faber is certainly an exemplary
representative of Akiva’s graduating class
of 2016. It was an honor for Akiva that he
won this award, but we are not surprised,
as he is truly deserving.”

*

Vivian Henoch is editor of myjewishdetroit.com,
where this story first appeared.

About Nati Faber:

Extra-curriculars: President, Bnei
Akiva Detroit (branch of a Zionist youth
movement); Akiva Student Council
co-president; Akiva basketball team
manager; National Honor Society member;
AIPAC volunteer, recently attended AIPAC’s
Schusterman Advocacy Institute High School
Summit in Washington, D.C.; organizes and
leads Shabbat youth groups at Young Israel
of Southfield.
Passion: Israel! Also, his studies and school
activities, community service, and helping in
any way needed to run events.
Proudest moment: Becoming an uncle for
the first time!
Definition of a leader: Someone who
helps in the best way he or she can to make
other people’s lives better.
Words to live by: “Be the change you want
to see.” That’s my approach to leadership,
too.
Hopes, dreams: To live in Israel, to go
skydiving one day and t o visit all 50 states
in the USA.

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January 14 • 2016

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