"As I Know Her"
An Introspective Portrait of the Author
by
Menucha Meinstein M.A.
When I first met Miriam Arman several years ago, I said to her, “I don’t know why, but I need to know you.” I
thought to myself, “Something about her is compelling and indescribable, mysterious yet accessible
conspicuous and uncompromising. I want to know what she understands about Yiddishkeit as a Baalat
Teshuvah (returning to full Jewish observance) and how and why she became who she is.” Her distinctively
strong voice mesmerized me with an articulate authority of a woman who seemed to already know what the
questions are, where they really come from, and what the answers should be.
Everybody knows when she walks into a room that Miriam is different. “Who is that woman?” A colorful
fl
flowing dress, adorned by her signature Ten Commandments pendent. Behind a face, framed with short blond
hair, dancing eyes exuberant with character, seem to speak vigilant honesty of inner truth through a veil of
fearlessness that masks her vulnerability. Passionate eyes that have surely experienced human wars know
the angst of defeat and the rapture of triumph seem to scream from her soul, “I will tell you what I know about
mundane, conspicuous reality.” Miriam embodies a tapestry of complicated gentle strength and acute
intuition. Her intense looks seem to draw you in, begging to share with you her ocular vision of ethereal
perception – “Just listen and you will ‘know’.” Miriam is a poetic artist whose words form major arteries of
compressed emotion that connect her heart to yours. Her art of writing elevates secular concerns and
transports the reader to expanded consciousness where new possibilities of resolve can exist. Th is new
reality seems to become an expression of the divine, a spiritual cornucopia of revealed, vulnerable and
esthetic understanding of Hashem (G-d) and an exploration of one’s place within it – ‘soul-speak’ of
mesmerizing eloquence. This is a woman whois able to reach beyond the comfort of ‘static’ – through “I just
am!” complacency toward living through her multi dimensional essence, as another vessel of G-d’s perfect
design.
The wellspring of her powerful writing in Coming Home reflects raw unadulterated truthfulness. Her prolific
compositions seem to transcend themselves as she moves through ‘the beyond’ by engaging her ‘third eye,
’ (enlightened inner vision). She is miraculously able to connect to the realm of that Ein Sof (infi nity) so her
knowledge can be released. By listening to this inner voice speak, where truth and love connect to the
source without constriction, she is able to allow the light from illumination to be revealed. Her wisdom gleaned
through this tethered lifetime of torture is like major music with unexpected syncopations and flourishing
crescendos with frequent and surprising changes of meter and accents. Th e drama of her life unfolds its
humanity and temporarily resolves itself to the relief of the reader. We wipe our soul tears yet yearn for more
. From Miriam’s sacred well of Chesed (loving kindness) and humility we want to share this abundant essence
of G-dliness and maybe the secret of being holy from her teachings that can be both wise, yet simple and
finally obvious. Th is Miriam is truly a gift in our lifetime. She is a testimony to human spiritual potential if one
is able to break through their Klipah (shell) and submit an aching heart to G-d, listen for sacred direction and
then without fear commit to the ultimate possibility of one’s spiritual potential and knowingness.
I learned from Miriam that all voice, all language, all verbal expression comes from the same place – from
deep within ‘Hashem’s Space.’ Th is concept directs her work. Th rough her ‘soul work’ Miriam changes
lives. Her gift is the ability to manifest her Neshoma (soul) knowledge through words, through writing and
poetry and transport the reader to higher realms of truth and self-understanding. She invites you to go ‘inside
’ with her. Her speeches, writings and art are the very expression of the awesome deep silence within her
soul, a private connection with Hashem (G-d) in public, compelling and mesmerizing. Th e pageantry of this
journey of her Jewish soul,through centuries, reveals itself as a gift to us in this time of Golus (exile), on the
eve of redemption. Like a great symphony played as a single voice, hers is apassionate and exotic
expression, with a clear and direct emotional range of her soul’s wanderings through this lifetime. As the
Rebbe’s (Leader of Lubavitsch Chassidim) spiritual daughter she expresses the latent music of her soul,
weaving among vignettes and interludes from lifetimes of choices that have led her to the ultimate revelation
of her gifts of wisdom throughout this lifetime. As if a gossamer thread connects her to Hashem and her
Rebbe, she has the unique ability to expose her deep hidden truths with childlike transparency. You watch
, you listen and you understand something new about G-d, the universe and your important place within it with
an unbelievable hope, just like Torah’s prophetess, Miriam HaNeviah.
Here is a collection of more than three years of dramatic and personal spiritual life events, as told by a
single, professional middle-aged woman who gave up a comfortable home with a swimming pool in sunny
Miami, Florida, for a religious life in the black hat community of Crown Heights in Brooklyn, New York. This
closely-knit family community absorbed her with open arms while teaching her to embrace the life style of full
Torah observance with the fewest outside impediments of secular influence. This was quite a jump for a
worldly woman who speaks a number of languages, has lived and taught Voice all over the world, published
books, is a noted Fine Artist, and sought after lecturer and key note speaker. She made this decision with full
Kavanah (intention) and commitment, just as she does everything in her life.
The rich influence of this Chassidic (movement within Judaism founded by Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov)
family community stimulated her mind to re-frame her writings and poetry from her mostly secular influence
toward deeper spiritual understanding and its expression. The highest level of Chesed (kindness) is giving of
oneself. Th is she does, often with painful honesty. Living in Crown Heights has infused her with fresh
spiritual energy resulting in a plethora of significant works collected here for the first time.
Coming Home is a compilation of prose and poetry testifying to the power of her adherence to the Chassidic
teachings of the Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, and their profound eff ect on her creative and
artistic expression. You may say, “I don’t understand poetry.” Her poetry is as easily understandable as it is
relevant to Jews everywhere. As you read Coming Home, you will know Miriam as a woman who has
endured muchand survives again each day in order to fulfi ll her mission of empowering others to become
their fullest potential and to live within their greatest possibilityas Hashem’s (G-d’s) messengers of Yiddishkeit
(Judaism).
While Coming Home is about Miriam, it is more about us as Jews connected and united by our emotional
DNA regardless whether we are observant from birth, returning, assimilated or converted. It is about uniting
and strengthening our memory, even if only from vague glimmers, to remember what we have forgotten since
we accepted our gift of the Torah at Mt. Sinai. She helps us to remember and believe in our legacy and to act
on this memory as we fi ght our pull toward things harmful (Yetzer HaRa) and find our way back. Latent
memories hide divine sparks of light that must be revealed and uncovered in order to illuminate the world
through Torah and Mitzvot.
Miriam grabs you, moves you, and opens something new within you. Everything she writes is an event, a
confession of her humanness. As a classical woman of articulate, fearless and extemporaneous truth she
touches a nerve, giving “Ah Ha” moments to the reader. While everyone has their story, hers seems to make
yours more relevant. Miriam’s understanding is about the depravity of the soul. From Miriam you learn how to
crawl out of the black hole, as she has done many times. Moreover you learn that you “can.”
An Introspective Portrait of the Author
by
Menucha Meinstein M.A.
When I first met Miriam Arman several years ago, I said to her, “I don’t know why, but I need to know you.” I
thought to myself, “Something about her is compelling and indescribable, mysterious yet accessible
conspicuous and uncompromising. I want to know what she understands about Yiddishkeit as a Baalat
Teshuvah (returning to full Jewish observance) and how and why she became who she is.” Her distinctively
strong voice mesmerized me with an articulate authority of a woman who seemed to already know what the
questions are, where they really come from, and what the answers should be.
Everybody knows when she walks into a room that Miriam is different. “Who is that woman?” A colorful
fl
flowing dress, adorned by her signature Ten Commandments pendent. Behind a face, framed with short blond
hair, dancing eyes exuberant with character, seem to speak vigilant honesty of inner truth through a veil of
fearlessness that masks her vulnerability. Passionate eyes that have surely experienced human wars know
the angst of defeat and the rapture of triumph seem to scream from her soul, “I will tell you what I know about
mundane, conspicuous reality.” Miriam embodies a tapestry of complicated gentle strength and acute
intuition. Her intense looks seem to draw you in, begging to share with you her ocular vision of ethereal
perception – “Just listen and you will ‘know’.” Miriam is a poetic artist whose words form major arteries of
compressed emotion that connect her heart to yours. Her art of writing elevates secular concerns and
transports the reader to expanded consciousness where new possibilities of resolve can exist. Th is new
reality seems to become an expression of the divine, a spiritual cornucopia of revealed, vulnerable and
esthetic understanding of Hashem (G-d) and an exploration of one’s place within it – ‘soul-speak’ of
mesmerizing eloquence. This is a woman whois able to reach beyond the comfort of ‘static’ – through “I just
am!” complacency toward living through her multi dimensional essence, as another vessel of G-d’s perfect
design.
The wellspring of her powerful writing in Coming Home reflects raw unadulterated truthfulness. Her prolific
compositions seem to transcend themselves as she moves through ‘the beyond’ by engaging her ‘third eye,
’ (enlightened inner vision). She is miraculously able to connect to the realm of that Ein Sof (infi nity) so her
knowledge can be released. By listening to this inner voice speak, where truth and love connect to the
source without constriction, she is able to allow the light from illumination to be revealed. Her wisdom gleaned
through this tethered lifetime of torture is like major music with unexpected syncopations and flourishing
crescendos with frequent and surprising changes of meter and accents. Th e drama of her life unfolds its
humanity and temporarily resolves itself to the relief of the reader. We wipe our soul tears yet yearn for more
. From Miriam’s sacred well of Chesed (loving kindness) and humility we want to share this abundant essence
of G-dliness and maybe the secret of being holy from her teachings that can be both wise, yet simple and
finally obvious. Th is Miriam is truly a gift in our lifetime. She is a testimony to human spiritual potential if one
is able to break through their Klipah (shell) and submit an aching heart to G-d, listen for sacred direction and
then without fear commit to the ultimate possibility of one’s spiritual potential and knowingness.
I learned from Miriam that all voice, all language, all verbal expression comes from the same place – from
deep within ‘Hashem’s Space.’ Th is concept directs her work. Th rough her ‘soul work’ Miriam changes
lives. Her gift is the ability to manifest her Neshoma (soul) knowledge through words, through writing and
poetry and transport the reader to higher realms of truth and self-understanding. She invites you to go ‘inside
’ with her. Her speeches, writings and art are the very expression of the awesome deep silence within her
soul, a private connection with Hashem (G-d) in public, compelling and mesmerizing. Th e pageantry of this
journey of her Jewish soul,through centuries, reveals itself as a gift to us in this time of Golus (exile), on the
eve of redemption. Like a great symphony played as a single voice, hers is apassionate and exotic
expression, with a clear and direct emotional range of her soul’s wanderings through this lifetime. As the
Rebbe’s (Leader of Lubavitsch Chassidim) spiritual daughter she expresses the latent music of her soul,
weaving among vignettes and interludes from lifetimes of choices that have led her to the ultimate revelation
of her gifts of wisdom throughout this lifetime. As if a gossamer thread connects her to Hashem and her
Rebbe, she has the unique ability to expose her deep hidden truths with childlike transparency. You watch
, you listen and you understand something new about G-d, the universe and your important place within it with
an unbelievable hope, just like Torah’s prophetess, Miriam HaNeviah.
Here is a collection of more than three years of dramatic and personal spiritual life events, as told by a
single, professional middle-aged woman who gave up a comfortable home with a swimming pool in sunny
Miami, Florida, for a religious life in the black hat community of Crown Heights in Brooklyn, New York. This
closely-knit family community absorbed her with open arms while teaching her to embrace the life style of full
Torah observance with the fewest outside impediments of secular influence. This was quite a jump for a
worldly woman who speaks a number of languages, has lived and taught Voice all over the world, published
books, is a noted Fine Artist, and sought after lecturer and key note speaker. She made this decision with full
Kavanah (intention) and commitment, just as she does everything in her life.
The rich influence of this Chassidic (movement within Judaism founded by Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov)
family community stimulated her mind to re-frame her writings and poetry from her mostly secular influence
toward deeper spiritual understanding and its expression. The highest level of Chesed (kindness) is giving of
oneself. Th is she does, often with painful honesty. Living in Crown Heights has infused her with fresh
spiritual energy resulting in a plethora of significant works collected here for the first time.
Coming Home is a compilation of prose and poetry testifying to the power of her adherence to the Chassidic
teachings of the Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, and their profound eff ect on her creative and
artistic expression. You may say, “I don’t understand poetry.” Her poetry is as easily understandable as it is
relevant to Jews everywhere. As you read Coming Home, you will know Miriam as a woman who has
endured muchand survives again each day in order to fulfi ll her mission of empowering others to become
their fullest potential and to live within their greatest possibilityas Hashem’s (G-d’s) messengers of Yiddishkeit
(Judaism).
While Coming Home is about Miriam, it is more about us as Jews connected and united by our emotional
DNA regardless whether we are observant from birth, returning, assimilated or converted. It is about uniting
and strengthening our memory, even if only from vague glimmers, to remember what we have forgotten since
we accepted our gift of the Torah at Mt. Sinai. She helps us to remember and believe in our legacy and to act
on this memory as we fi ght our pull toward things harmful (Yetzer HaRa) and find our way back. Latent
memories hide divine sparks of light that must be revealed and uncovered in order to illuminate the world
through Torah and Mitzvot.
Miriam grabs you, moves you, and opens something new within you. Everything she writes is an event, a
confession of her humanness. As a classical woman of articulate, fearless and extemporaneous truth she
touches a nerve, giving “Ah Ha” moments to the reader. While everyone has their story, hers seems to make
yours more relevant. Miriam’s understanding is about the depravity of the soul. From Miriam you learn how to
crawl out of the black hole, as she has done many times. Moreover you learn that you “can.”