Stoughton’s Farber balances engineering, football in South Dakota

October 15, 2026

Originally Published in The Jewish Journal HERE

It’s commonplace, even cliché sometimes, for athletes to attribute their touchdown receptions or walk-off home runs to a higher power in postgame interviews.

The conversations between athletes and God are quieter, and not in front of the cameras, when they confront their own challenges, head-on.

Stoughton native David Farber took a leap of faith when he decided to transfer from Central Connecticut State University (120 miles from home) to South Dakota School of Mines (1,904 miles from home), sight unseen.

The university was founded in 1885 when western South Dakota really was the wild west, and students searched nearby mines as part of their coursework.

These days, it’s a highly regarded engineering school and a great fit for an engineering student like the 22-year-old Farber. He also had an opportunity to earn a scholarship to play quarterback for the Hardrockers (yes, that’s their mascot) football team.

The engineering aspect is going wonderfully, with Farber set to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in aerospace engineering in the spring of 2028. He’s already interned with Siemens in the Boston area.

The football situation hasn’t gone as smoothly. Farber lost a hard-fought quarterback competition and is now one of two backups on the roster. Farber shows up to practice every day and is on the sidelines each week, ready to go into the game at a moment’s notice. But still the questions remain in his mind.

“At a time when I’m not the starter, I ask God, ‘Why am I going through this?’ and then I understand that God has a plan for me.”

The South Dakota School of Mines, located in Rapid City, is less than 25 miles away from historic Mount Rushmore. There’s also an abundance of outdoor activities in the region, including two national parks – Badlands and Wind Cave. There is, of course, Sturgis, famous for its motorcycle rallies, and Deadwood, which was brought to life through a well-known television show.

Despite the natural beauty and friendliness of the area, there isn’t a large Jewish presence. Farber has started going to Synagogue of the Hills in Rapid City – the only synagogue in the western part of the state.

“It’s a little different than what I was used to,” Farber said. “It’s a little more reform. I can’t go every weekend, but I go as often as I can. It’s very easy to lose that relationship with Judaism being out here. You have to be intentional about it.”

Farber grew up in a kosher home and does his best to keep kosher, although it’s challenging in Rapid City. He credits the team’s coaching staff with being flexible – not only for himself but also for his Muslim teammates who follow halal rules. Farber is one of two Jewish players on the team, along with kicker Sam Eccles, from Texas.

Finding kosher meat is a challenge, but Farber refrains from eating pork or shellfish and mixing dairy and meat.

“Keeping kosher is a good reminder of your Hebrew identity,” Farber said. “It makes you think every time before you eat. What am I eating? What am I putting in my body? You keep kosher so you understand what happened to the animal.”

He hasn’t experienced any antisemitism in South Dakota but often receives questions, purely out of curiosity, about keeping kosher and Jewish holidays.

Through volunteer work in Rapid City, Farber spent some time at Rapid City Central High School – which had some memorabilia for one of its most famous graduates, former New England Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri.

Although Farber appreciated it, he’s a dyed-in-the-wool Green Bay Packers fan, thanks to his appreciation of quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

“One of my coaches told me that playing quarterback has three different levels,” Farber said. “The first is knowing your job and your job only. The second is knowing what all 11 players on your team are doing. The third is knowing what all 22 players on the field are doing. I like the aspect of knowing what all 22 players on the field are doing.”

Farber grew up attending several different synagogues in the Stoughton area but became a bar mitzvah at Shaloh House Chabad in 2017.

He played tackle football for the first time as a freshman at Stoughton High School in 2018 but then chose to attend the Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island.

It was a sacrifice, and a bit of a schlep, as Farber would catch a southbound bus near the I-95 exit in Sharon. After football practice, he’d catch a late bus back to Sharon and get picked up by his parents for the ride home to Stoughton.

This went on until his senior year, when he started driving to Providence. By that time, he was the Quakers’ starting quarterback and led them to their first playoff appearance in three years. That experience in the Ocean State opened the door for Farber to play college football.