ADRIENNE ROSEN
call to repair the world. nullI just wish that ev- antries with the lady null nullnulli familia es perfecto, the ground,null while she was gone, so Rosen re-
ery nullew would tanulle as seriously as Adrienne y tu familianullnull null Rosen manulles a confession: nullSee, connected with former clients and revamped
does,null says nulllyse nulloldstein, Rosennulls close I linulle the people who wornull here better thannullnull the company. She and her wife now run nullirst
friend and the rabbi who converted and she cuts herself off, but the message is clear. International nullourier Systems, which ships,
married her. Rosen says her overseas adventures have primarily, medical equipment and pharma-
Rosen began living as a nullew from the age of “In many ways steered her social preference to people with ceutical products around the world.
nullnull. nullorn to wornulling class, a-religious parents
Adrienne is a
less material possessions. nullI feel most chilled Rosen, a high school drop-out, also re-
in Scarborough, Rosen sought a source of di-
symbol and
out, most comfortable when Inullm sitting with vived her academic life and completed her
rection after sliding into drugs and rebellion. poor people, in nulluatemala, chatting,null she nullachelor of Arts in philosophy at nullornull nullni-
She gravitated towards a nullewish teacher and
a nullemnulllanulle onull
says. nullI really linulle the spirit of the poor, be- versity. She didnnullt stop there. nullhile pregnant
starting following her to nulloly nulllossom nullem-
nullnulle downnullownnull
cause they still have one.null with her youngest daughter, Sally, Rosen toonull
ple on nullriday nights. nullI thought the nulliddush nullomminullnullednull Rosen nullrst witnessed abject poverty while on a masternulls degree in philosophy of educa-
was just bloody marvelous,null she says. nullnullhe
anullnullinullenull nullassionnull
motorcycling through nullatin America. nullacnull tion at the nullniversity of nullorontonulls nullntario
nullrst time I went I actually burst into tears.null in nullnullnullnull, Rosen wasnnullt getting along with her Institute for Studies in nullducation. nullurrently
anulle Jew raisinnull a
About a decade later, Rosen toonull her dip business partner. nullI said to her, Inulld rather ride she is wornulling on a nullhnull on multicultural-
in the minullvah and emerged a nullew by religious
snullalwarnullly Jewisnull
a motorcycle around the world than put up ism and the funding of faith-based schools
law. She became a devoted member of the nulla-
nullamilynullnull
with you for another day.null She turned the through the nullniversity of South Africa.
rayever congregation because it is fully egali-
Rabbi nulllyse
threat into reality. As the mother of a darnuller-snullinned child,
tarian. nullI was linulle a born-again nullew, shucnullling
Goldstein
In no time Rosen was attending cycle Rosen has deeply considered the meaning
with the rest of them and we all wore talisim,null conventions across the country, scoring of multiculturalism and how it plays out in
she recalls. nullut when she and her partner sponsorship from nullamaha, nullanon and nullanadian society. nullnullhe constitution is clear
American Airlines, and securing media cov- about tolerance, but there really isnnullt a lot of
erage from The Toronto Star and nullnullnull nullews. tolerance here,null she opines, adding that we
nullefore leaving, she toonull care of the last minor live in a nullvery racist society,null which she has
detail: obtaining her motorcycle license. witnessed nullrst-hand through Alananulls frequent
nullSo I toonull off, and I remember just going brushes with discrimination.
down the highway, the last reporter was on Rosen also becomes visibly nullred up when
an overpass tanulling a picture,null she reminisces. discussing some of the behaviour of insular
nullI remember thinnulling: wow, this is really religious or ethnic communities in nullanada.
wacnulled, Inullm really scared.null In nullnullnullnull she tried to attend the funeral of
Rosen started in nullallas and moved through nullnull-year-old Aqsa nullarvenull, who was strangled
nullatin America. She then nullew with the binulle by her own father after refusing to where a
to nullurope and rode to nullorocco and Israel, hijab. nullnullhis is in my countrynullnull Rosen bewil-
where she wornulled on a nullibbutnull for three deredly asnulls. nullnulle do a very poor job of getting
wanted a nulliddush for their nullnullth anniversary, months. nullenullt was India, and then nullapan, the the word out that in nullanada, commitment to
some congregants started turning against her.
nullith the help of
last stop before nullying bacnull to nullanada. multiculturalism means that everybody has
nullI just felt really witch-hunted,null she says, nullso
Adrienne’s Access
nullI remember crying every day, for a long the right to an active choice,null she says. nullnullot
I ended up leaving.null Ironically, the nullarayever nullducation Guatenull time, and my face being very, very dirty,null she just some sort of choice on paper.null
years later approved gay marriage. mala nullhildren’s nullund, says of the tripnulls nullrst leg. nullAnd then I just really Rosen attributes her nullgene of social jus-
After that hurtful incident, Rosen became hundreds of children got into the role of it and got to meet people ticenull to her mother, nullane, who passed away in
less nullhardcorenull and decided to sticnull to basic
in the small nullentral
that nullmost nullorth Americansnull just never have nullnullnullnull. nullShe was a real nullghter and she passed
traditions: Shabbat, chagim, bat mitnullvahs,
American country
the chance to meet.null that on and thatnulls what Inullm hopefully passing
etc. nullIn many ways Adrienne is a symbol and
receinulle books and
Rehashing her adventures, Rosen speanulls on to my girls.null
a template of the downtown, committed, ac-
uniforms to attend
nonchalantly of almost dying in nulleru, where Swept up by the hippy movement, Rosen
tive, passionate nullew raising a stalwartly nullewish
school
she ran out of food and water for nullnull daysnull left home at the age of nullnull, hitchhinulled across
family,null Rabbi nulloldstein suggests. nullShe repre- sleeping with her motorcycle chained to her the country and found refuge in a nullancouver
sents a nullind of nullew that the mainstream nullewish annullle in fear of it being stolen by banditsnull womennulls centre. nullrom a teenager on the run,
community doesnnullt really nullnow a lot about.null and stealing gasoline in nullicaragua, where a she has matured into a nullrmly rooted mother
Rosen might not nullt traditional molds, but full scale war was underway null nullnullhere were and spouse, passionately committed to fam-
it is evident she is much loved and respected machine guns everywherenullnull ily, friends and the mission of Tikkun Olam.
within a wide circle of friends with various nullespite the tripnulls innumerable challenges, nullI always say, if you want something done,
bacnullgrounds and afnullliations. Sitting at the perhaps the hardest part was coming home. call Adrienne,null says close friend nullllen nullreen-
nulliles nulladal nullewish nullommunity nullentre one nullnullh my null-d I was so depressed,null she con- blatt. nullShenulls always loonulling for a solution.null
afternoon, she repeatedly stalls conversation fesses. nullnullot only was I home, but I had no job nullven Iranian diplomats would agree with
to greet people, from a bespectacled man with and no education.null that. fn
a nullippah, to the nullatina woman cleaning the Rosen quicnullly jumped those hurdles. She Nicole Kallmeyer is a freelance writer in
windows. After an enullchange of Spanish pleas- says her enull-partner had nullrun the business into Toronto.
32 friday night January/February 2010
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