Miriam "Maria" Einstein - a life of coincidences
Lynda Peeler

The coincidence of Miriam's blonde hair and light eyes are the beginning of an early life filled with even more coincidences that ultimately secured her survival in a time when one lived in most unpredictable circumstances.

The first experience, and coincidence of sorts, she recalls that her mother sold her to a Polish woman for ten pounds of sugar. She looked like a blonde Polish child so received a Polish "number". When rounded up she went to Auschwitz where she time after time was passed over. She recalls the water being contaminated and typhus was rampant. She was in the hospital when Mengele came in and sent everyone to their end but her.

Life was to be hers and she married Isaac Stein in 1942. They were separated and she thought he had died, but by a coincidence he survived to become Isaac Einstein when, in 1949, he entered the United States. They arrived without a trade so Isaac found work in construction, pushing wheelbarrows of cement. This added insult to a sport injured knee. They had brought enough money with to buy a 60 acre chicken farm. Isaac took eggs to factory girls who sold them for him so he bought more chickens; got to 50,000 and disease came and took them all. Undaunted, they bought another farm of 150 acres.

The next venture was to become builders. They built five very beautiful homes with fireplaces and amenities, but they didn't sell. At just about the end of their finances, by coincidence, a man came along and offered them a price that barely covered the building expense, the buyer said. "Take it or leave it and I'll head for Florida tomorrow." Isaac decided to take the money and take his family to Florida for Christmas. In 1980 he built 850 homes and Miriam went to Interior Decorating at Nova University. Their efforts paid off when they received 5 million dollars from the project. Miriam is very proud that they came to the US with just $8,000 and are now able to give each of the three children one million dollars

Miriam took college students on the Hillel sponsored "Walk of Life" as the only survivor on the journey. She has also told her story of survival on video for the holocaust archives.
 

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