Judith chairs an Israeli-based pre-school literacy program, which operates across Canada.  HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Pre-school Youngsters) works through the Working Women Community Association and operates projects in the Jane-Finch, Malvern, Flemingdon Park and Davenport Road areas of Toronto.  This acclaimed learning methodology was developed in Israel to help immigrant mothers and children adapt to a new society and to help prepare children to start school ready to learn.  Immigrant and aboriginal parents are also prepared to advocate for their children in the school system to help ensure their children’s academic and social success.  The program uses immigrant and aboriginal parents as “home visitors” who have also been able to use the program as a springboard to employment in childcare.  

 Judith helps provide a voice for rural and small town Ontario as the Advocacy Coordinator for the Federated Women`s Institutes of Ontario (FWIO).  This is a long- established organization serving rural and small town women locally, provincially, nationally and internationally.  While primarily focussed on agriculture and protecting agricultural lands, the organization takes a broad interest in local, provincial, national and international issues of concern to women. 

Judith supported local efforts to establish off-leash dog parks in the community.  You can see Judith in our local parks with Guinness, her chocolate Labrador retriever. Bruno, also a chocolate lab, passed away recently and she is still adjusting to his loss.

Judith is a booster of local businesses and local amenities.  She is proud of her community neighbourhoods and local markets.  She has worked with farmers in the Holland Marsh to promote farmers’ markets to bring local, fresh produce to citizens as an alternative to big box store offerings. 

Judith is a supporter of the arts. She loves the art classes at the AGO where she has pursued portraiture drawing.  She has done ballet classes almost all her life and is a huge fan of the National Ballet of Canada (where her sister Sandra attended National Ballet School).   

Judith is a regular at Village Yoga and enjoys running and walking the trails of St. Paul’s.  She is also an avid tennis player at the Sir Winston Churchill courts and the Toronto Cricket Club where she has also pursued an earlier life passion for figure skating

Past positions:

Outreach Coordinator, St. John’s Anglican Church, York Mills

Carleton University Board of Governors, Ottawa

Program Co-chair, Governor General’s Study Conference, Ottawa

Board member, The School of Dance, Ottawa (a pre-professional program)