Andrea Waldstein
Andrea Waldstein was born in 1937 in Haverhill, Massachusetts, and has lived in the Boston area all of her life. She is a social worker and an activist. Andrea came to the Movement for Soviet Jewry through her interest in promoting peace. During the 1980s, she brought together women from the Soviet Union and the US for global seders in the Soviet Union and later in the Boston area. She has also been active in Action for Post-Soviet Jewry and Project Kesher.
Andrea describes her family heritage and roots in Ukraine. Her father was a first-generation immigrant from Ukraine and came to the United States in 1921 when he was twelve years old. Andrea recalls traveling with her father to Ukraine for his 80th birthday and connecting with her heritage during this trip. Andrea was raised in Haverhill, Massachusetts, where she celebrated the Jewish holidays, attended Hebrew school, and her parents were active in a conservative synagogue. After college and earning a graduate degree in social work from Simmons College, Andrea met her husband and became more involved in the Jewish community and the Soviet Jewry Movement. She talks about meeting Sallie Gratch, a social worker and activist, getting involved in Project Kesher and the anti-nuclear movement. Throughout the interview, Andrea reflects on her Jewish identity, the role of women in Judaism, and women's issues more broadly.
