Roz Garber was born in 1950
and raised in Toronto. Her family was active in the Reform movement,
and as a young adult, Garber was a leader in the Reform temple youth
group, receiving scholarships to attend UAHC summer camps in the US.
After earning a BA in Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto, Garber
left Toronto to get a Masters in Jewish Education at Brandeis. It was
there that she met her husband, who was studying for a Masters in Jewish
Communal Service.
Garber and her husband moved to Toronto after they graduated and worked
in the Jewish community. Through this work, they became actively involved
in the issue of Soviet Jewry. In 1975, they were chosen to visit the
Soviet Union on a secret mission run by the Jewish Agency. During their
three-week trip, they met with Refuseniks, such as Anatoly Sharansky,
gave them educational materials, and shared information with them about
Israel. In Kishinev, they were intercepted by the KGB, who followed
them throughout the rest of their trip and prevented them from contacting
more Refuseniks. Upon their return from the Soviet Union, Garber and
her husband embarked on speaking tours to share their experiences and
educate the American Jewish community about conditions for Jews in the
Soviet Union.
Garber has continued to devote her volunteer and professional time to
the Jewish community. She had worked at the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts
and at Hadassah Boston. She has three daughters, who share her passion
for Jewish communal service.