Ann Lustig Nieder
An energetic social reformer, Ann Lustig Nieder worked for both Jewish and secular organizations throughout her life. Born to Ashkenazic parents, Ann grew up on Capitol Hill in Seattle. In 1945, she received a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Washington in Nursing. She married Lawrence Nieder, a businessman, in 1946. They had four children. Once her children were school age, Ann devoted a large part of her life to volunteer activities in the Seattle community, serving as President of Temple De Hirsch Sinai Sisterhood, Brandeis Women’s Committee, National Council of Jewish Women, and the Washington State Jewish Historical Society. Volunteer work helps define Ann’s life, and currently she provides guidance on committees for the University of Washington.
Ann begins by describing her early childhood, the neighborhood where she grew up, the impact of her parent's divorce, and her family's customs and observance of holidays. She shares her impressions of relationships between Jews and non-Jews, her Jewish identity, and gender differences in her family and Judaism. Ann talks about her school and summer camp experiences, meeting her future husband, and the history of Jewish sororities at the University of Washington, where she was enrolled in the nursing program. Ann looks back on her marriage to Lawrence Neider, how she balanced work and family life, and the social unrest of the 1960s. Ann was active in community service work, volunteering with the Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish Education Committee, the National Council of Jewish Women, the Washington State Jewish Historical Society, and others. Finally, Ann discusses her children’s lives, being a grandparent, the death of her husband, and widowhood.
