An Inspiring Journey*

Stefanie and I at her 100th birthday party

Born in Breslau in ’21

To begin an inspiring 

100-year run.

And now, surrounded

By so much love

Century Two has

Just begun.

As a child your art

Showed promise and flair,

You won a contest

Run by Luft Air.

You were to soar

Up over the city

But you could not go

And that was a pity.**

An idyllic childhood

The Nazis disrupted

Fating you with

Youth interrupted.

From Spain to Swiss land

And so many chores

It wasn’t fair

You had to scrub floors.***

When you left Breslau 

For Barcelona

Could you imagine

You’d land on Wawona?****

With Uli, Vickie, 

And my Lawdie, Lawdie

At age 42

Along came Miss Claudie!*****

Sons-in-law, grandkids

The numbers kept mounting

Six great grands you claim, 

And yes, we’re still counting!

But we could not know

That in more recent years

Your story would reach

Many hundreds of ears

Of youngsters in Germany

Whose lives you inspire

To strive, persevere

And climb ever higher.

Your journey, your struggles

Your triumphs your tears

Put a face on sad history

And make cloudy things clear.

Part of your legacy,

A gift we shall treasure

Are the lives that you’ve touched

In ways beyond measure.

German teens will reflect

On what happened then,

And because of your story

Vow, “Never again!”******

Yes, Steffi, you’ve had

A remarkable run

But the impact of your life

Has barely begun!

*Stefanie Steinberg, my wonderful mother-in-law, celebrated her 100^th birthday recently. Here is my poetic tribute to her on that occasion. She is a celebrated artist whose paintings and collages adorn with great pride the homes of her children and grandchildren.

**At age ten, Stefanie won an art contest sponsored by Lufthansa airlines. The prize was an aerial tour of the region of Breslau, Germany (now Wroclaw, Poland) where Stefanie was born and lived until she was 14. Unfortunately, she became ill the night before she was to fly and could not claim her prize.

***In 1936 the family fled the Nazis to Barcelona, Spain. After the Spanish Civil War broke up Stefanie lived in a Kinderheim (orphanage) in Switzerland, where, yes, she had to scrub floors.

****Wawona is the name of the Street where Stefanie has lived since 1961 in San Francisco.

*****Stefanie and her husband, Uli (1915-1990) became parents of Vickie and then, by surprise, 15 years later of Claudia.

******An exhibit recounting Stefanie Steinberg’s life and experiences has been the basis of lessons Vickie and have taught beginning in 2014 in several German high schools where students identify with Stefanie and what she went through.