Zelda Finkelstein Gamson (“Zee”) died of pancreatic cancer on Monday, April 27, at the age of 90, surrounded by family, in Lincoln. A lifelong scholar, activist, musician, and lover of nature, she met the world with a keen eye for both beauty and injustice.
Zelda was born on March 12, 1936, in Philadelphia to Ukrainian immigrants Reba and Samuel Finkelstein. The oldest of four, she revealed her boldness and independence from an early age: mastering the piano, schmoozing with street vendors, and secretly taking Hebrew lessons. When World War II broke out, she fantasized about traveling to Europe to kill Hitler.
The first in her family to attend college, she completed one semester at the University of Pennsylvania before transferring to Antioch, a small liberal arts college in Ohio with a cooperative education program. She knew immediately that she had found her home. At Antioch, she ditched her skirt for dungarees, and earned the nickname “Zelda the Fire Eater.” There she also asked out a boy named Bill, who, despite his graceless dancing, charmed her with his easy humor and singing of Rodgers and Hart songs. By 1956, the two were married.
Together, Zelda and Bill pursued careers in academia, built a life together, and raised their two children. Zelda earned her doctorate in sociology from Harvard, and went on to teach at the University of Michigan for 17 years, with a focus on student organizations and inequality in higher education. Through this time, she never wavered in her commitment to social justice, activating University of Michigan’s antiwar movement through the organization of the first Vietnam War teach-in in 1965. Zelda’s fearless and activist spirit pervaded her personal life as well: In one famous episode — featured on the podcast Radiolab — she quit smoking cold turkey by vowing to mail a $5,000 check to the KKK if she ever had another cigarette.
In 1988, Zelda moved to the University of Massachusetts in Boston, where she was later named professor emerita. There she founded the Higher Education Doctoral Program and the New England Resource Center for Higher Education. In her commitment to women’s empowerment, she led by example, charting the way for future female leaders in academia.
Retirement for Zelda was a vibrant mixture of work and play. After leaving UMass Boston, she and Bill moved to Chilmark, and became fulltime residents of the Island. She quickly immersed herself in the Island community, joining the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center, serving on local boards, and enjoying the presence of the creators, artists, and writers of her social sphere. In the early 2000s she formed the Secure Housing Action Committee, a group aimed at expanding affordable housing on the Vineyard. Later, she served as advisory council for Jewish Currents, a progressive Jewish magazine, and was a featured contributor. She returned to piano, the instrument of her childhood, and took up lessons again.
She remained fiercely committed to social activism through the final years of her life, frequently marching in political protests and organizing for voting rights, climate change awareness, and the protection of democracy.
Zelda was a lover of birds, good conversation, dancing, and the natural world. She was a truly dynamic force; strong-willed and intensely organized, she was a connector of people to her core. Zee will be missed by all whose lives she touched, but her infectious spirit will live on through her family, friends, and students.
Zelda was predeceased by her husband, Bill. She is survived by her two children, Jennifer and Joshua; and by her five grandchildren, Gilad, Ari, Max, Reba, and Madeleine.
For those wishing to celebrate Zelda’s life, a burial and short ceremony will be held at Abel’s Hill Cemetery on Martha’s Vineyard on Friday, May 1, at 2 pm. All are welcome at an informal gathering with family and friends directly following the burial at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center in Vineyard Haven.