Dear Community,

It is with profound sadness and immeasurable gratitude that the Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, and clients of Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County mourn the passing of our dear friend, colleague, mentor, and champion, Steven "Steve" Gerber.

It is difficult to imagine the story of JFS without Steve. For more than two decades as a member of our Board of Directors and during his tenure as Board President from 2011 to 2014, there has scarcely been a significant milestone, initiative, challenge, or achievement in our agency's history that did not bear Steve's fingerprints. His thoughtful leadership and unwavering commitment helped shape the organization we are today, including the establishment of the Amster Center, a lasting tribute to his dear friend Herb Amster and a testament to Steve's enduring dedication to strengthening both JFS and the Jewish community we are privileged to serve. Those who knew Steve also knew that you rarely got Steve without Joyce. Together, they were a remarkable force for good. Whether serving our agency, volunteering throughout the community, welcoming guests as ushers at countless cultural events, or quietly helping someone in need, Steve and Joyce embodied partnership, generosity, and the very essence of Tikkun Olam—repairing the world.

Steve's extraordinary record of service is almost impossible to summarize. He devoted decades of leadership to Jewish Family Services, Beth Israel Congregation, the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor, the Ann Arbor Hebrew Day School, Hillel at the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University, the Ann Arbor Jewish Community Center, the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, Ann Arbor Hospice, and so many other organizations that have enriched our community. For more than 30 years, he also served as a hospice volunteer, often taking the overnight shift so families could get a much-needed night's rest while knowing their loved one was not alone. During the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, Steve personally called JFS clients week after week to check on their well-being, offering reassurance, companionship, and hope while reporting their needs back to our social workers. That simple act captured who Steve was: someone who never stopped caring, never stopped serving, and never believed that any act of kindness was too small to matter.

Steve's service was never about recognition. Although he and Joyce were honored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor for Extraordinary Community Service, Exemplifying the Spirit of Tikkun Olam, he remained the same humble, gracious person who believed that the work itself, not the recognition, was what mattered the most.

Those of us privileged to work alongside Steve witnessed something extraordinary. He possessed a rare combination of wisdom, humility, warmth, and quiet determination. He believed deeply in people. He believed in community. He believed that each of us has both the opportunity and the responsibility to leave the world better than we found it.

As CEO of JFS, I had the privilege of working closely with Steve during his presidency and throughout the years that followed. I watched him lead with integrity, kindness, and unwavering purpose. I watched him ask others to support our mission—not through pressure, but through genuine belief in the good that could be accomplished together. Few people could inspire generosity the way Steve did, because everyone knew his heart was completely invested in the people we served.

And then there was Steve's smile.

His warm smile, gentle wit, and unmistakable sense of humor immediately put people at ease. He had an extraordinary gift for making every person feel welcomed, valued, included, and loved. It was impossible not to notice that his smile shone brightest whenever Joyce was by his side. Together they brought warmth into every room they entered and joy into every community they served.

Wherever Steve and Joyce went, people came to embrace them, not because they sought attention, but because they had quietly touched so many lives. Their kindness rippled outward in ways that can never fully be measured.

Steve leaves behind an extraordinary legacy, not only in the organizations he strengthened, the countless volunteer hours he devoted, or the funds he helped raise, but in the lives he changed through simple acts of compassion, integrity, and steadfast commitment. His example reminds us that true leadership is measured not by titles or accolades, but by lives uplifted, communities strengthened, and hope restored.

His absence will be deeply felt. His example will continue to guide us.

The JFS family extends our deepest love and heartfelt condolences to Joyce, their children, grandchildren, and the entire Gerber family. We grieve alongside you while giving thanks for the extraordinary gift of Steve's life and the countless blessings he bestowed upon our community.

May Steve's memory forever be a blessing.

 Zichrono livracha.

-Anya