I was born in New York City on May 6, 1945, the eve of the end of WWII in Europe to German-speaking Jewish parents who had had to flee from Nazi Germany. I was always called Vicky by my family and friends in the US, where I lived, studied and worked until 1980. I studied social work, specializing in Community Organization, something I practiced in New York for twelve years before coming to live in German-speaking Europe where people started to call me Miriam. I taught community organization at a Berlin school of social work before coming to live in Zürich with my future (and still) Swiss husband Antonin Wagner in 1983. I trained in Switzerland and Germany to become a Family Therapist and established my own practice specializing in Couples Therapy for about 35 years. In addition, I worked therapeutically with many Holocaust survivor families, seeing how trauma leaves a toxic contamination in families and societies over generations. For many years I helped to organize cultural events within the Jewish community of Zürich. Politically I have always supported peace, justice and security for Palestinian and Jewish people in the Middle East.

Each of us has many identities. Two of mine are being Swiss and American with a special connection to the two cities I live in, Zürich and New York. It is especially painful to bear witness to the dismantling of all the values and institutions with which I have identified in the US. I hope to make a contribution to the healing and the reconnection so much needed now. My understanding of my middle name “Victory” has always been that I am meant to be a peacemaker not a conquerer. I hope that we can win through dialogue and mutual understanding and rebuilding a community spirit.