From Gherla to Washington

In his autobiography, Mike Klein describes growing up in Transylvania following the traumatic events of the Holocaust and the communist takeover of Romania. Mike led a carefree childhood, but as a young adult, he felt increasingly constrained by Romania’s totalitarian government. In 1975, he left everything he knew to come to the United States. Mike writes with humility and humor about his path to achieving the American dream, and the love story between him and his wife, also an immigrant from Romania. His life on two continents illustrates the power of reinvention, hard work, love, and loyalty.



Mike Klein is a Romanian American born to Holocaust survivors in Gherla, Romania, in 1949. At twenty-six, he immigrated to the US following his wife, Judith. Both successful IT professionals, Mike and Judith raised two sons in Bethesda, Maryland, and traveled the world together. In retirement, Mike splits his time between Bethesda and Florida and enjoys travel, opera, his sons, three grandchildren, and extended family and friends.