Her father, David Sigel (Sigelovytch), was an office worker, insurance salesman, and political activist in the immigrant foreign language clubs.
She graduated from Evander Childs High School in 1931 and New York University's College of Education in 1935.
[2] In 1962, Friedlander was one of ten U.S. Communist Party officials told by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to register with the Subversive Activities Control Board.
In the Democratic Party primary election she defeated a then-little known lawyer named Sheldon Silver, by just 95 votes.
[2] Prior to her death, Friedlander supported the candidacies of John Liu and Mark Green.