[1] One of nine children, her parents were Jewish immigrants who moved from Vilnius to Glasgow at the end of the 19th century.
[2] Ida's older sister, Ray, married Avrom Greenbaum, who founded the Glasgow Jewish Institute Players,[3] and her brother, Leon Schuster, was production manager for GJIP, and, later, when it merged with other groups, Glasgow Unity Theatre.
In 1973, she described her feelings about the artist within the community: Well...the bridge games, the social activities for charities which form so much of the pattern, must be partly rejected if one is to survive with any creative energy.
Make no mistake, our young folk will be holding the reins with great expertise, well equipped for the battles which lie ahead.
In 2020, Ida was described as "the world’s oldest podcaster", in reference to her recording of Old School (for broadcaster Janice Forsyth’s Big Light company), in which she shared stories about her life and career.