Born Hayeh Zukofsky in 1893 in the village of Ugli, White Russia (now Belarus), Ida Maze was an important figure in the world of Yiddish letters. After emigrating from White Russia, she lived briefly in New York City and then settled in Montreal. Maze's generosity was the stuff of legend. She helped refugee writers navigate the Canadian immigration system, edited the books of other poets, and advocated for writers in many ways. The doors of her home were always open, and many Yiddish writers gathered there. Ida Maze died in Montreal in 1962.