Bara Rosenheck: Keeps on Writing, and Writing and Writing. Obstacles Do Not Wear Her Down
Raising the Bar At 75+
Bara Rosenheck
If anyone has raised the Bar At 75+, it is Bara Rosenheck. Since 2017, at the age of 77, Bara has written five books and is working on her sixth. Her first was her memoir, Courage: It’s More Than Luck. J
Bara’s first novel, Justice For Julia, quickly followed her memoir. A story of a young woman with the courage to redeem her victimhood by becoming empowered. Bara’s third book came in 2022, The Mid-Morning Murders, and received 4-star reviews.
In the story of one woman’s struggle to prevail over unexpected obstacles, Bara Rosenheck acknowledges her many blessings while describing the challenges that life has brought her. As a child, Bara’s father was physically and verbally abusive, denigrating her intelligence every chance. “You’re stupid. You will never amount to anything,” was the rant she heard growing up. What is the message a young girl learns in this environment? Even when Bara went on to college and finished her master’s degree, her parents did not attend her ceremony. They chose to go to a friend’s wedding. But Bara was determined to fight through those messages.
Because of her parents’ messages about her lack of worth, Bara believes that striving for gender equality became her passion. She became an administrator for a Title IX federally funded program at Rutgers University. The program was set up to ensure that male and female students and employees of educational systems are treated equally and fairly. Consequently, Bara was responsible for developing curricula and training teachers and administrators to ensure equality in schools became a reality throughout New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Bara became a change agent for State Departments of Education, local school boards, teachers, and administrators. Even today, after fifty years, Rutgers University calls on Bara to speak to their staff.
A devastating spinal cord injury and paralysis resulted in a remarkable recovery. Her journey to independence and self-sufficiency is described with humor and gratitude in her memoir. Her goal of self-improvement and her desire to institute societal changes by becoming an activist and participant in the turbulent political era of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s gives the reader a window into that historic era. Written for and dedicated to her children and grandchildren, the author weaves her family history and suburban lifestyle into a compelling view of her childhood and her motivation to become a change agent.
In addition to writing and publishing these tomes, Bara has contributed to a monthly community magazine. She has produced humorous articles that keep her senior fellow residents holding their bellies as the laughter pores out.
She rarely misses her weekly writers’ club meeting, whether it’s on Zoom or in person.
Her colleagues in that group look to her for insight and direction as they read what they wrote for the week. Arnold Choy claims, “When Bara speaks, everyone listens intently because her words of wisdom just ring out. Her critique is gentle, usually right on the mark, and oh-so-helpful. She will give you her true thoughts, feelings, and insights, 100% real, “ Beth Bolduc adds, “Bara is an inspiring writer, storyteller, and reader with a rich, expressive voice. As a strong club member, we all value her suggestions, which are "spot-on" and informative.”
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What you don’t know about Bara is that she is in continuous pain, living day to day with a seated walker by her side because of that severe spinal injury, But this does not slow her down. At 83 years old, Bara continues to raise the bar for all retired folks.