No matter where they were — Baltimore, New York or even Jerusalem — Judith “Judy” Schuchalter’s son knew what was coming.

Somewhere nearby, a voice would call out, “Miss Judy!”

A former student would come running toward her, often with a smile and a hug for the teacher who introduced generations of Baltimore Jewish children to Judaism through songs, stories, games and endless curiosity.

By the time Schuchalter died on May 17 at 80, her influence had extended far beyond the classroom, touching thousands of children and their families during more than three decades as an educator at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore.

“Your mom’s a Baltimore institution,” a lifelong friend told her son, Levron Schuchalter, as he traveled to Baltimore in 2017 for a ceremony honoring her 30 years of service at the JCC.

For many Baltimore-area families, she was simply “Miss Judy.”

Born Yehudit Goldberg in 1946, Schuchalter entered the world under extraordinary circumstances. According to her family, she was born on a train somewhere in liberated Europe as her family made its way toward what would become the State of Israel. She was raised in Netanya and remained fiercely proud of her Israeli identity throughout her life.

“Being Israeli was a huge part of her identity,” Levron Schuchalter said. “She had a huge love for the country.”

She attended school in the agricultural moshav of Nahalal and later served in the Israel Defense Forces. As a young woman, Schuchalter endured profound loss when her fiancé, an Israeli Air Force pilot, was killed during the Yom Kippur War.

During her military service, she worked with visiting Americans, an experience that later drew her to the United States.

Before settling in Baltimore, Schuchalter traveled throughout Europe as a model and later came to the United States as part of Israel’s delegation during the nation’s Bicentennial Tall Ships celebration in 1976. Years before they met, Ralph Schuchalter visited the Israeli ship in Baltimore Harbor and unknowingly caught a glimpse of the woman who would become his wife. Introduced by a mutual friend in 1980, Judith and Ralph married soon afterward and built a life together in Reisterstown for the next 45 years.

Their shared love of Judaism fueled lively discussions at home. Passover Seders often stretched for hours as she debated translations, challenged assumptions and encouraged family members to think more deeply about Jewish texts and traditions.

“There was always a story, always something to question, always a lesson,” her son recalled.

Family members said Schuchalter believed there was no single “right” way to be Jewish and encouraged others to find their own connection through learning and engagement.

At the JCC and Beth El Congregation, Schuchalter became known for transforming Jewish learning into an adventure. She wrote original songs, created hands-on activities and encouraged children to think for themselves. One favorite adapted “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” into “The Itsy Bitsy Akavish,” helping children learn Hebrew through music.

Julie Cooper, a close friend and former colleague, first met Schuchalter when her daughter was one of her students.

“She lit up the room,” Cooper said. “She was very hands-on, interactive, smiling. She sang songs and was very engaged with the children.”

Her Israeli roots shaped many of her lessons, introducing children to Hebrew, Jewish history and culture.

“She taught respect, empathy, compassion and love,” Cooper said.

Speaking at her 2017 service recognition ceremony, JCC Early Childhood Director Ilene Meister said Schuchalter helped children develop Jewish identity and pride. Parents often credited her with inspiring them to continue their children’s Jewish education.

She also taught privately, tutored students and spent years visiting nursing home residents. Former students were not the only people she taught. Friends said she loved sharing stories from her childhood in Israel and was just as likely to turn a conversation with an adult into a lesson about Jewish history, Hebrew language or Israeli culture.

Her contributions earned her the Louis H. Eisenberg Award for Excellence in Jewish Early Childhood Education, recognizing creativity, vision and leadership.

Levron Schuchalter said one of his mother’s greatest gifts was her ability to recognize each child as an individual.

Not every child learned the same way, and Schuchalter adjusted accordingly. She knew who needed extra attention, who needed encouragement and who simply needed a hug.

“What truly impresses me about my mom is not only the time she spent, but her inherent empathetic and intuitive nature,” he said.

That same warmth defined her role as a wife, mother and savta. Friends became family in her eyes. Friday nights brought Shabbat candles, Kiddush, songs and family gatherings.

Family members said she often worked multiple jobs — teaching at the JCC, teaching Hebrew school at Beth El, tutoring and even operating a small skincare business from her home — to ensure her family had everything they needed.

That strength remained evident during the final chapter of her life.

She fought metastatic breast cancer for more than three years after her diagnosis in January 2023. Despite surgeries, radiation and other treatments, relatives said she maintained her optimism throughout much of her illness.

One of her greatest joys in her final months was meeting her granddaughter, Leah, whose arrival brought renewed happiness during a difficult period.

“The smile on her face when she first met my daughter is a look I will never forget,” Levron Schuchalter said.

“She was a force to be reckoned with,” Cooper said. “She had a powerful magic in everything she did.”

At the ceremony honoring her decades of service, Levron Schuchalter posed a question to the audience.

“What does it take to change the essence of a person?”

After reflecting on the power teachers have to shape young lives, he offered his answer.
“It takes a teacher.”

For generations of Baltimore Jewish children, Judy Schuchalter was exactly that.

Ellen Braunstein is a freelance obituary writer. She welcomes suggestions for individuals who had meaningful ties to the Baltimore Jewish community. Email

csix@midatlanticmedia.com.