Miriam Kendi Hertz was my maternal grandmother and a woman who loved people… My grandmother’s family immigrated to Manhattan from Hungary when she was just a child. She lived in New York City her whole life and became president of many charitable organizations there, working endless hours for the benefit of others. Her life was devoted primarily to her husband, her children, and to helping others. Following her demise the biggest synagogue in Manhattan overflowed with attendees, many who were left with standing room only. Poetry was, for my grandmother, a very solitary, meditative practice, which she engaged in all her life. My mother, Nannette, gathered my grandmother’s poems into a book for informal publication after she left us. The following is how my mother introduced her own mother’s poetry: “These are the poems of a heart overflowing, of someone whose active works of love and friendship always took precedence over self-involved pleasures. She loved poetry, especia...
Women's Spiritual Poetry