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“Joanie and I became close friends years ago through our shared passion for activism and advocacy across all communities,” said Civia Tamarkin, president of NCJW AZ. “She does advocacy for everything!”

As much as Rose would like to build bridges between people, her volunteer work is on issues generally associated with progressive politics. She strives to speak with people of all viewpoints, and “is happy to talk to anyone,” but has found only a few Republican takers.

“Many of the Republicans I do talk to have become Independents or even Democrats,” she said.

Rose is the outreach coordinator for Stand Indivisible AZ, whose mission is “to enhance the general welfare of Arizona communities by facilitating educational opportunities for our members and the general public,” according to its website.

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Rose also contributes guest columns regularly for Arizona Capitol Times, where she toggles between highlighting good work in the community and politics. The first week of May, she wrote about NCJW AZ’s Ruth Place, a trauma recovery center, suggesting it was an effort everyone could feel good about supporting; her latest, dated May 22, details the limits of Congressional Republicans’ proposed “Limit, Save, Grow Act 2023” and what it could mean for Arizonans. Rose grew up in northern California and attended Oakland’s Temple Sinai, where she was confirmed but did not have a bat mitzvah. It wasn’t yet typical for Jewish girls to become a bat mitzvah in the mid-20th century. Aside from celebrating Jewish holidays with family and friends, she doesn’t talk much about her Judaism.

“When it comes to religion, the important thing is how you treat other people. I feel like I walk the walk and that’s how I’m judged,” she said.

She met her husband when they were 15 years old and married him five years later. The couple has two daughters and two grandsons. Twenty-five years ago, the Roses moved their travel agency to Arizona and never left. By the time Joanie retired, she had built a large network of friends and contacts which just keeps growing.

While she can no longer use step ladders or vacuum her house due to her back problems, she still “has more energy than my kids,” she said. She has a standing desk in her office where she writes her columns and makes jewelry and greeting cards.

“All of us at Indivisible work independently and then bring people together,” she said, adding that she thinks of her role as helping people find each other rather than as intentionally political.

There’s also a social element to it.

“I love meeting all these people and getting to know them. They all have stories that are absolutely amazing and I hear what they go through, their pain and I try to understand. I ask, ‘What can I do to make things better for you?’” she said.

To make things better she’s willing to work seven days a week, running around town, making introductions between various groups and talking to people about finding the best ways to connect individuals. For example, in late May, she met with Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, a Republican, to ask how

Even though she’s sometimes frustrated by a lack of kindness and respect, Rose is an upbeat and optimistic person.

“The bottom line is building bridges, not walls,” she said. JN