Our People
Our board, women from different backgrounds and points of view, provide vision, guidance, and passion for our work, for our goals, and for our journey.
Sheryl Hartman
PresidentSheryl has been actively involved in the Jewish community for more than 25 years, for a wide range of non-profit organizations, based in Canada and Israel.
Together with Lori Palatnik, she was responsible for the coordination of North American women’s missions to Israel for 10 years, prior to the launch of the JWRP.
She has extensive business experience, primarily related to corporate and incentive travel.
For a number of years, Sheryl managed the UJA’s Lebovic Campus in Toronto and was responsible for facility operations and community and tenant relations.
In 2015, while on the March of the Living trip to in Poland, Sheryl met and soon married her Besheret, Gerald Hartman. Sheryl and Gerald live in Toronto and have 4 children.
Anat Ishai
TreasurerAnat is proud member of the Jewish Community of Toronto. The love of Israel is in Anat’s blood. Born in Israel to Russian Immigrants, and then immigrating to Canada at a young age, Anat was always immersed in Israeli culture, food, music and traditions. A proud mother of four young children and married to her first crush Eytan, Anat also runs a successful recruitment firm with her husband and supports various Jewish organizations in Toronto.
Anat went on her first Momentum trip in 2016, came back and sent her husband on the men’s trip that same year. Anat was inspired to start her own organization JLinks to further expand her reach in the community and took a group of women as a city leader in 2019.
Anat is passionate about making a difference in young Jewish families by engaging young mothers and empowering them through Jewish traditions and Challah bakes.
Paula Silverstein
Board MemberPaula has been actively involved in the Jewish community, both in Toronto and Israel for over 35 years.
She, along with her husband and children, became Baalei Teshuva over 20 years ago through Aish Hatorah, and most significantly, through Paula’s participation in an absolutely life-changing women’s mission to Israel in 1999, led by Lori Palatnik.
Paula’s creativity and passion stem from her 35 year career in women’s fashion and she has used those talents to assist and support many Jewish organizations – from hosting the Golden Girls program of Bikur Cholim to funding for NCSY, Chai Lifeline and Yeshivas in Eretz Yisrael, and participation in Sisterhood chessed and fundraising programs for various Shuls in Thornhill over the past 25 years.
She has been married since 1984 to her husband Mitch, and is extremely proud of her 3 children, their spouses and her 4 grandchildren, and also for her opportunity to work for and support the incredible Momentum organization, and the amazing women that she is so grateful to have had the opportunity to meet and learn from.
From the very beginning, Momentum has been blessed with a fantastic team. As we grow, we continue to be inspired by the impact of our work and the mark we are leaving on the Jewish world.
Nikki Shapiro
Senior Manager, Momentum CanadaNikki has been associated with Momentum since 2011 and, most recently as a bus leader for the Maccabi USA group this past summer. She has previously served as an Executive Director of a local synagogue, with roles and responsibilities analogous to the duties that will be expected of her in this position.
Her extensive volunteer work with as a past Board Member and current City Leader for Momentum/Jewish Federation of Ottawa, Chair of Ottawa’s JAFI Shinshinim Program, Chair of Ottawa’s P2G Committee and an active Lion of Judah, have prepared her for this role as well. Nikki also served on the Momentum Partnership Committee from 2018-2020. We are very fortunate to have Nikki now working on the staff side of Momentum, after years of being a lay leader. Her primary roles will be to serve as a staff liaison to the Momentum Canada Board, to support all Canadian activities, including the annual Momentum Canada programming and to Enhance and develop relationships with Canadian partner organizations and donor/prospects.
Nikki lives in Ottawa, Ontario with her husband, Michael, and together they have two adult children.
THIS WEBSITE WAS CREATED IN LOVING MEMORY OF RITA KRAKOWER MARGOLIS 
