Judy Reifer has a remarkable life story.
Judy was born in Warsaw Poland during the height of the World War II and the German persecution of Jews. Even though she was just a few months old, her parents left her in the care of a local Catholic priest who took care of her and other Jewish children in the church’s basement at great personal peril – an act of heroism that ultimately saved her life. As a result of this experience, Judy learned an important life lesson that she wants to pass along to the next generations — “it’s important to remember that even in extremely evil times, there are good people who will come to the aid of those who need help”.
After the war, Judy lived in an orphanage in France run by Rescue Children, an organization that ran orphanages throughout Europe for Jewish children whose parents couldn’t be found. While there, Judy met one of the founders of Rescue Children, Maurice Enright, who ultimately adopted Judy and brought her to America where they settled in Elizabeth, NJ. After growing up in Elizabeth, Judy and her husband, Ken, moved to Westfield where they have lived for the past 53 years. Judy and Ken raised two wonderful daughters in Westfield, one of whom still lives here.
Judy began her career as a secondary teacher in Woodbridge, then transitioned to being a full-time Mom and active local volunteer. She served as the President of the Edison Middle School PTO, was active in the Newcomers Club and was a member of various Committees at Temple Emanu-El. After her daughters grew older, she returned to the work force as a Realtor with Burgdorff Real Estate for 10 years. Then Judy received her Master’s degree in educational counseling and spent 25 years working for a non-profit agency that provided vocational services for disabled adults.
Judy’s advice to current residents is to take advantage of all of the wonderful things that Westfield offers and to make your own memories in town. Judy’s memories include the wonderful block parties on her street, spending summer days with her family at Memorial Pool, holiday concerts at the Presbyterian Church and all of the her daughters’ sporting events.
