With C. James Richardson, Himelfarb wrote two introductory textbooks on sociology, which were used extensively in Canadian universities in the late 1970s and early 1980s: Himelfarb has published numerous monographs, chapters and articles on Canadian society and public policy and co-edited with his son Jordan the book Tax is Not a Four-Letter Word.
[citation needed]His most recent book is Breaking Free of Neoliberalism: Canada’s Challenge published by Lorimer in 2024.
Himelfarb joined the Canadian public service in 1981 in the Department of the Solicitor General of Canada and served in senior positions in various departments and agencies, including the Parole Board of Canada, Justice, Citizenship and Immigration, the Privy Council Office, and Treasury Board, and led the Task Force on the Social Union.
The organization, which follows the highly successful American model, originated in 2000 and focusses on 10-year Plans to End Homelessness and Housing First approaches.
In 2016, Himelfarb was chair of the World Wildlife Fund Canada and of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA)'s Ontario Advisory Board.