My family has always been the key focus of my life. My parents, Jack (founder of Regal Bedding) and Clara (an accomplished singer and performer in Jewish plays and on radio) Linhart, were both born in Europe, but married in Winnipeg. My mother's immediate family members perished in the Holocaust, and that greatly influenced my brother's and my upbringing and attitudes. Our first language was Yiddish, and I fondly recall growing up with the pleasant aromas and tastes of Jewish cooking, family holiday celebrations, a home filled with the sounds of Jewish music. In addition to this strong home environment, my participation in B.B.G., Y.M.H.A., U.S.Y. and Brownies cemented my Jewish identification as did my Bat Mitzvah. These early influences and my professional training have involved me as an adult volunteer and chair of various outreach programs at the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue and as a member of the National Council of Jewish Women.

Education has also always been important to me and my husband, Charles, and to our three children. Charles served as President of Montessori Schools when our children were young. Each of our children graduated from university: Jeffrey, from the University of Western Ontario (as his father did) with a Business Degree, Lisa, from the University of Manitoba with a degree in Nutrition, Jill, from the University of Manitoba with an arts degree. I received my early education at Peretz, Montrose, River Heights and Grant Park schools, and went on to receive B.A. and M.Ed.degrees, and a PHD. In psychology. I am a practicing therapist, and have served as President of The Manitoba Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and Chair of its Ethics Committee.

The Book of Life to me is a wonderful opportunity to leave a significant gift to the Jewish Community. As I stated earlier, the Holocaust impacted greatly my philosophy of life. I am strongly committed to Judaism and the survival of our people, and through mine and others' commitment to the Endowment Book of Life we can be assured that our community will continue to flourish. In particular, I believe the creation of the Campus as the pulse of our community will serve as a guiding light for the future.