Miriam Kantor (August 10th, 1887 - August 26th, 1950, née Sternin) was a Second Class passenger on the Titanic. She was traveling with her husband, Sinai, and likely Israel Nesson, who was possibly a friend of theirs. Miriam was the only survivor of the three.
Early Life[]
Miriam Kantor, born Miriam Sternin, was born on August 10th, 1887, in Vitebsk, Russia - modern-day Belarus. She was the daughter of Woolf Sternin and Sara Murinson. The birthdates, date of marriage, and occupations of her parents are unknown, however, it is known that they were originally from Belarus. It is also not certain whether Miriam had any siblings. Miriam, her parents, and possible siblings followed the Jewish faith.
Besides this, very little is known about Miriam's life. However, it can be assumed that she did well in school as it is believed she had a college degree. At some point, Miss Sternin married a man named Sinai Kantor (1878-April 15th, 1912), the owner of a fur importing business. The two would never have children together. Just like Miriam, it is also believed that Sinai also possessed a college degree. It seems likely that the pair were seeking higher education in America, which could explain their emigration from Belarus to the United States. Miriam planned to study dentistry and Sinai medicine. In America, they planned to live at 1735 Madison Avenue, New York, where Miriam had relatives. Once there, Sinai planned to re-establish his business, and study medicine by night at the North General Hospital, while Miriam, once she learned English, would take dentistry classes full-time. To get to the United States, they planned to sail aboard the RMS Titanic.
Titanic[]
The Kantors traveled to Southampton, England, to board the Titanic. They bought Second Class ticket 244367, costing them £26. It is deemed likely that Miriam and Sinai were traveling with 26-year-old Ukrainian Israel Nesson, who shared the same ticket number, 244367. Taking this into consideration, it is likely that Israel was friends with the couple. The three boarded the Titanic on April 10th and the ship set sail.
During the voyage, the Kantors would have enjoyed the amenities of Second Class on the Titanic; meals in the dining room, walking around, socializing, and enjoying the sea on the multiple promenades, reading and writing in the library, and for Sinai exclusively, smoking, drinking, and socializing in the smoking room, and getting a haircut or beard trim at the barber if he felt it to be necessary. However, it is known that Miriam, and likely Sinai too, was unable to speak English, severely limiting their possible social circle. Their cabin would have been located on either the D, E, or F Decks, and possibly, but unlikely, G Deck. If they were indeed traveling with Israel, the cabins were likely located near each other.
On the night of the sinking, the actions of Miriam and Sinai are unknown. However, it is known that they eventually made it up to the Boat Deck. There, Miriam would be separated from Sinai when she got into a lifeboat. Exactly which lifeboat she escaped in is unknown, although it is speculated it was either lifeboat 10 or 12, which were lowered at 1:45 A.M. and 1:20 A.M. respectively.
Mrs. Kantor was forced to stay in whichever boat she was rescued in for the duration of the early morning and watched the Titanic sink beneath the waves. She and the other occupants of her lifeboat were eventually rescued by the RMS Carpathia of the Cunard Line. The Carpathia reached New York on April 18th, 1912.
Aftermath of the Disaster[]
It soon became apparent that both Miriam's husband Sinai and friend Israel Nesson were among the victims, leaving her widowed. While Israel's body was lost at sea, Sinai's was recovered by the CS Mackay-Bennett as number 283. There is a possibility that it was Miriam who identified his body. On his body, a pocket watch of his was found, which would later be sold in 2018 for a large sum of $57,500. She would have Sinai buried in Mount Zion Cemetery in the Queens area of New York City. Miriam would never remarry after the death of Sinai in the disaster.
Even after the death of her husband, Miriam, unlike many widowed women who were emigrating to America, decided to stay. She told the American Red Cross that she would be helpless if she decided to return to Belarus as she would be unable to earn a proper wage. Because of this endeavor, the Red Cross decided to help her out; they gave her fifty U.S. dollars each month - roughly 1,600 dollars when adjusted for inflation as of December 2023 - for four years while she studied dentistry. After four years, her funding would be cut off because her classes should be complete by that time. They also agreed to pay the cost of her tuition and any additional school fees. On top of this, she was given an up-front payment of $809.98, roughly $25,650 when adjusted for inflation as of December 2023.
Later Life[]
On June 24th, 1912, Miriam expressed her interest to become an American citizen. At the time, she was living at East 11th Street, Manhattan, New York. A physical description was also taken of Ms. Kantor: she was recorded as being 5'4" in height, weighing 150 pounds, having brown eyes and hair, and having a dark complexion. A little over six years later, she officially became an American citizen on August 1st, 1918. By then, she was residing at 130 South 9th Street in the Brooklyn neighborhood of New York, and, curiously, was described as a pharmacist instead of a dentist. Due to this fact, it seems likely that Miriam changed her course of study from dentistry to pharmacology - either way, Ms. Kantor was self-sufficient.
The 1920 American census lists Miriam to be residing at, once again, a new residence; South 9th Street, New York. This was the home of the Tickman family, who were also Eastern European. The Tickman's were listed as witnesses to Miriam's naturalization as an American citizen. Every year on the anniversary of the sinking, she had fresh-cut flowers sent to Sinai's grave in Mount Zion Cemetery. After the 1920 census, details about Ms. Kantor's life became quite elusive. She does not appear on the 1930 American census. It can be assumed, however, that she continued her practice as a pharmacist, and it's known that she did not get re-married.
The last decade of Miriam's life was spent in Rockland State Hospital, a psychiatric institution. She appears on both the 1940 and 1950 American census in this hospital, Rockland State Hospital, listed as an inmate. The fact that Miriam Kantor spent a good portion of her life in a psychiatric institution suggests that she had mental health issues. However, when these began or what exactly she suffered from is unknown. There is a possibility that these mental health problems began due to the sinking of the Titanic and the loss of her beloved husband, Sinai, and never presented itself as a serious issue until her later years, although it is ultimately unclear.
Miriam Kantor passed away on August 26th, 1950, at the age of 63 in Rockland State Hospital, Orangetown, New York. The cause of her death is unknown. Oddly, she was not buried with her husband, but at Wellwood Cemetery in Babylon, New York.