Anna Castleman
Anna Castleman was born in 1912 in Dorchester, but lived in several locations in the Boston area throughout her life, including Winthrop, Brookline, and Cambridge. Anna’s paternal grandfather is credited with starting the Socialist Party of East Boston. Anna’s early life was influenced by the teachings of Rabbi Levi at Temple Israel, and she considers herself very spiritual. Although only a mediocre student, Anna was able to attend and graduate from Wellesley College. She met her husband, Ben, a pathologist at Mass General Hospital, in the summer of 1935, and they were married later that year. Anna dedicated her life to raising her children and social service. She was involved in a multitude of organizations including the League of Women Voters, parent teacher associations, the Service League, Mass General Hospital, Haddassah, and the Ladies’ Committee of the Museum of Fine Arts. Her husband would often travel to foreign countries as a visiting professor, and Anna accompanied him to such places as Japan, Israel, Columbia, and Iran, at a time when world travel was not as common. After her husband passed away at the age of 78, Anna continued to pursue her passion for social service.
Castleman talks about her childhood growing up in New England, attending Temple Israel, and eventually meeting her husband Ben, a pathologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. She describes her married life, living in Brookline, raising a family, traveling with her husband, and volunteering for various organizations in and around Boston. Finally, Anna reflects on her experience as a young Jewish woman at Wellesley College and her involvement in Jewish organizations over the years.
