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Miriam Hearing Sister: A Memoir
Miriam Zadek shares her story in this memoir that documents her experiences growing up in a New York Jewish family with both deaf and hearing members from the 1930s through World War II and beyond. Her story is personal and reflective, revealing the sometimes complex and heart-rending dynamics within her family and her community. Through brief and evocative vignettes, Zadek relates her memories of family life, capturing the innocence of childhood, the confusion of adolescence, and then progressing through adulthood. Her recollections evolve from a childlike observance to awareness, pain, and understanding as she matures. Throughout this journey, the author presents a narrative of historical and cultural importance centered on her personal account of the lives of deaf and hearing Jewish people in the mid-twentieth century.
The prevailing ideological movements of the time permeate her family life. Zadek reveals the traumatic impact of eugenics and the fears surrounding the genetic transmission of deafness. She considers the effects of adhering to the oral method of communication in her home when sign language could have given her family the ability to interact with each other more fully. In this environment, Zadek became an astute communicator and learned to adapt to both the hearing and the deaf world, where she was known as “Miriam Hearing Sister.” Her memoir is an elegant literary work that offers an understanding of how biases and stigmas resonate and evolve, and it showcases her loving family of strong women who pushed against stereotypes and have thrived across generations.
The prevailing ideological movements of the time permeate her family life. Zadek reveals the traumatic impact of eugenics and the fears surrounding the genetic transmission of deafness. She considers the effects of adhering to the oral method of communication in her home when sign language could have given her family the ability to interact with each other more fully. In this environment, Zadek became an astute communicator and learned to adapt to both the hearing and the deaf world, where she was known as “Miriam Hearing Sister.” Her memoir is an elegant literary work that offers an understanding of how biases and stigmas resonate and evolve, and it showcases her loving family of strong women who pushed against stereotypes and have thrived across generations.
216 pages, Paperback
Published September 14, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 4, 2024
This is a super easy read that has left my heart happy. I feel like Miriam is my great aunt retelling her life growing up in NY through WW2 as the hearing member of her deaf siblings. Aside from her life questioning her place between hearing and deaf worlds, Miriam offers such beautiful story telling of a war that so tragically changed our world. Her story contextualizes culture (Jewish, Deaf, and American) in a memoir that leaves me wanting more conversations.
In conclusion, Miriam reflects on what so many of us between worlds know: natural sign languages are so core to Deaf people and have been denied and refused as inferior.
In conclusion, Miriam reflects on what so many of us between worlds know: natural sign languages are so core to Deaf people and have been denied and refused as inferior.
March 6, 2024
This is a super easy read that has left my heart happy. I feel like Miriam is my great aunt retelling her life growing up in NY through WW2 as the hearing member of her deaf siblings. Aside from her life questioning her place between hearing and deaf worlds, Miriam offers such beautiful story telling of a war that so tragically changed our world. Her story contextualizes culture (Jewish, Deaf, and American) in a memoir that leaves me wanting more conversations.
In conclusion, Miriam reflects on what so many of us between worlds know: natural sign languages are so core to Deaf people and have been denied and refused as inferior.
In conclusion, Miriam reflects on what so many of us between worlds know: natural sign languages are so core to Deaf people and have been denied and refused as inferior.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews