Anne Lidsky

Dr. Anne Lidsky grew up in the 1950s in Albany Park, a Jewish neighborhood on the north side of Chicago. Her parents had both been unable to complete their schooling because of the Depression. Anne’s early childhood memories are clothed in warmth, laughter, and the sound of her mother’s voice both singing Yiddish melodies and telling her, gently but often, of the importance and value of a good education. Anne’s mother died of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) when Anne was in her teens. A short time later, her father succumbed to heart disease. Anne, her older brother, and her younger sister helped one another survive this unbearable loss. With the voices of her parents echoing in her heart, Anne pursued her education with a passion. She earned a BA in Education and an MA in Guidance and Counseling, both from Northeastern Illinois University, and a PhD in Counseling Psychology from Northwestern University. At the same time, she was taking classes in Judaica and Hebrew at the College of Jewish Studies (now Spertus College).

When she began her teaching career, Anne found herself in the heart of Chicago’s inner city during the week and in religious school classrooms on weekends. Anne became a counselor at the Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute Camp in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, for two summers in the sixties. Beginning in the eighties, she served there for 13 consecutive summers as Educational Director. From 1972 to 1975, Anne and her family lived in Kfar Sava, Israel. Upon returning to the United States, Anne began a four-year teaching and counseling assignment at the Solomon Schechter Day School in Skokie, Illinois. Both her daughters spent nine wonderful student years there, as well. For the past 18 years, she has served as Director of Education at Temple Jeremiah in Northfield, Illinois. When she began, the Temple had 350 students enrolled in its religious and Hebrew school programs. There are now 700.

For the past 13 years, Dr. Lidsky has led support groups for families, patients, and teens at the Les Turner ALS Foundation, which honored her in 1992 for her community service. She brings a rare combination of Torah and theology, knowledge of ethical wills and the teachings of Pirke Avot to those in need.