Marsha Stein was born and raised in New York City, graduating from Queens College with a B.A. in Home Economics and from New York University with an M.A. in Fashion Merchandising. After six years of working in the publishing and home sewing industries in Manhattan, she and her husband Alan relocated to Connecticut where he was Associate Professor of Mathematics at the University of Connecticut in Waterbury and she was Associate Professor of Marketing and Director of Fashion Merchandising at Post University in the same city, while earning 30 additional graduate credits in marketing and behavioral sciences.

During their 40 years in Connecticut, the Steins became active in the Jewish community, serving various organizations and visiting Israel many times. After being involved for years in resettling Soviet Jews in their community, in 1987 the Steins and their then-twelve-year-old daughter were part of a mission to the U.S.S.R. to visit Refuseniks, a life-changing experience. Marsha was a Hadassah chapter president, vice president of fundraising, bulletin editor, chapter advisor and region board member.

After leaving college teaching, she worked in marketing in the nonprofit sector and was Associate Director of the Connecticut Regional Office of the Anti-Defamation League, from which she retired. Marsha and Alan then became actively involved in AIPAC, the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, attending their Washington D.C. Policy Conference for seven years in a row and lobbying their Congressman and Senators on behalf of Israel.

In January of 2010, after Alan retired, the Steins participated in the Hadassah Winter in Netanya program, a volunteer experience for retirees, during which they became involved in the Netanya community, its one Masorti synagogue-Bet Israel-and made many friends. Having fallen in love with Netanya, they rented an apartment there the following winter. Before leaving for the States in March 2011, they had purchased the apartment overlooking the Mediterranean Sea where they now spend half of each year. They continue to volunteer in the Public Relations and Development Office of Laniado Hospital, take Hebrew classes at the AACI, attend concerts of Russian immigrants at the Netanya Shearim program (an award-winning program begun by Bet Israel Rabbi Emeritus Ervin Birnbaum), participate in Hadassah Hadar chapter activities, act as liaison between Bet Israel and Masorti congregations in Israel and U.S. Conservative synagogues, walk along the promenade and Netanya beaches and entertain and visit friends and family in Israel.

The Steins continue to be involved in Israel hasbara. From the U.S. Marsha emails daily Israel-related news items to a list of American friends and from Netanya, sends a personal narrative of their good  life in Israel several times per week to entice people to visit and see for themselves what Israel is really like.