June 2012
This has been a challenging month for me. I am celebrating the life of my mother, Miriam who passed away at age 89 on Friday May 25th. She was an amazing person, known and loved by many of my friends because she came out to hear so many gigs! My mom instilled in me a love of the arts which has led me to explore the world and be open to appreciating people and places and I will forever be grateful to her for the love and support with which she sent me on my own journey. Here is a short bio of her life:
Miriam "Mimi" Schwartz Silverman was born on February 6, 1923 in Jerusalem, Palestine to Rabbi Isaac and Ethel Schwartz. She was the fourth (and last survivor) of seven siblings.
Miriam received her nursing degree at Mt. Sinai Hospital in NYC, married Arthur Silverman in 1946, moved to Philadelphia, raised 3 children (Dan, Judi and Nita), studied at the University of Pennsylvania, moved back to New York and graduated from City College with a B.A. in anthropology.
She worked at Trinity Church in lower Manhattan as preservationist for their historic graveyards and was a Member of the American Gravestone Society. For two decades, she also immersed herself in the genealogy of both her parents' families as far back as the 17th century.
A strong independent spirit with a love of the creative arts, Miriam regularly attended the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Metropholitan Opera, Jazz performances, took the extended family's children to the Big Apple Circus and welcomed visitors from all over the world to her apartment on 55th Street and 8th Avenue. She educated everyone about NYC's architectural richness and always said you had to look up so you didn't miss the historical beauty of the city. A mentor to many, her sharp intellect and flamboyant personality will be missed.
