Esther Farber was a pioneer Orthodox feminist, initiated at the First National Jewish Women’s Conference, 1973. She stayed the course, working continuously to enhance Orthodox women’s lives.
Esther kept growing all of her life. She helped plan the first International Conference on Feminism and Orthodoxy, 1997, and served as coordinator, running the whole enterprise from her apartment.
Her work for JOFA was legion. As Journal chair, she was integral in the decision to make each issue a document of substance – of information, debate, and learning.
As vice-president, she served on the executive committee which entailed weekly meetings. Her work on this and other committees was characterized by creative ideas and balanced judgment.
Publicist by training and perfectionist by nature, Esther contributed her many talents to creating PR for every JOFA project. Esther put in endless hours behind the scenes, enabling others, seeking no credit for herself.
A founder of Riverdale Women’s Tefilla 25 years ago, Esther was among the first Orthodox women to leyn Torah. She was proud that her father, a great grandson of the Chasam Sofer, taught her trup. In turn, she proudly prepared many girls for bat mitzvah. Her final student, granddaughter Elianna, will become bat mitzvah in April, in Israel where she lives. Esther taught her transAtlantically, via camera and Internet, a treasured experience for both.
Esther Farber was a woman of great goodness and kindness. Gossip was simply not on her lips. Though outgoing and friendly, she was modest to the core. She focused attention on others, not on herself. She kept old friends forever. She had no envy in her and she took pleasure in other peoples’ good fortune.
Esther was brave and courageous. To look at her these last few years, one would not have suspected that she had been on dialysis for three years, had undergone multiple surgeries, including two kidney transplants. She always looked elegant and though she sometimes walked slowly, she walked with dignity, grace and beauty.
Esther would not allow illness to take over her life. During the years on dialysis, she continued to work daily at her UJA-Federation job.
She possessed a zest for life, a remarkable get-up-and-go quality. When her first donated kidney failed and she was again at death’s door, her attitude was not “look what I have to go through again,” but rather “how lucky I am to find a replacement so fast!”
Esther loved her life and felt blessed with good fortune, especially her family. She is survived by her husband, Charles Gold, three sons — David, Steven and Rabbi Seth Farber, three daughters-in-law, and 10 grandchildren.
For the deep friendship and collegiality that have been cut, we feel bereft. And for the model and inspiration that her life was to all of us, we feel great gratitude.
Te’hay zichra baruch.