Meryl Ain is a writer, author, podcaster, and career educator. Her award-winning post-Holocaust debut novel, The Takeaway Men, was published in 2020. Its sequel, Shadows We Carry, was published in April 2023.
Her articles and essays have appeared in Huffington Post, The New York Jewish Week, The New York Times, Newsday and other publications. She is the host of the podcast, People of the Book, which is aired on Authors on the Air Global Radio Network.
In 2021, she founded the Facebook group, Jews Love To Read!, which has more than 4,000 members.
The Takeaway Men is the result of her life-long quest to learn more about the Holocaust, a thirst that was first triggered by reading The Diary of Anne Frank in the sixth grade. While teaching high school history, she introduced her students to the study of the Holocaust. At the same time, she also developed an enduring fascination with teaching about and researching the Julius and Ethel Rosenberg case.
Shadows We Carry was written in response to numerous requests from readers who wanted to find out what happened to the characters after the first book ended in the early ‘60s. In the sequel, which begins in the late ‘60s, Bronka and JoJo experience the political and social upheaval of the times as they continue to cope with their family’s legacy and their roles as women.
Meryl is also a co-author of the award-winning book, The Living Memories Project: Legacies That Last, and in 2016, wrote a companion workbook, My Living Memories Project Journal.
A sought-after speaker, Meryl has been interviewed on television, radio, and podcasts. During the pandemic, she met virtually with more than 80 groups to discuss The Takeaway Men. A career educator, she is proud to be both a teacher and student of history. She has also worked as a school administrator.
Meryl holds a BA from Queens College; an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University; and an Ed.D. from Hofstra University. She is a lifetime member of Hadassah, a benefactor of UJA-Federation of New York, a member of The International Advisory Board for Holocaust Survivor Day, and a supporter of Holocaust centers and causes. She lives in New York with her husband, Stewart. They have three married sons and six grandchildren.