What happens when the dream of “living happily ever after” turns into a nightmare? At thirty-seven, Rhoada Wald thought her life was unfolding exactly as it should until her husband demanded a divorce and left her to raise three young children on her own. Faced with the sudden disruption of her dreams she took charge and reshaped her life.
The Myth of the Yellow Kitchen begins with the devastation of divorce and moves to the transformation of a young wife and mother into a mature professional woman. How did she get from there to here? Her memoir is a personal and compelling testimony that follows the ups and downs of her passage from life-changing crisis to a pioneering career in higher education and new experiences and adventures.
Dr. Wald’s doctoral degree is from Teachers College, Columbia University. Her major career experience was with Empire State College, the nontraditional unit of the State University of New York. From its inception, this innovative College was on the cutting edge of new directions in higher education and Dr.Wald played a vital role in that journey both in this country and abroad.
A winner of the New York State Chancellors Award for Excellence in Teaching and a Fulbright Travel Award she taught and administered programs for extended periods in India, Cyprus and Israel. The Myth of the Yellow Kitchen represents a turning point in her life and her writing. She moved from academic writing to a highly readable, eloquent journey about life and work. In a non-bitter, affirming, and often humorous voice, the book evokes optimism and affirmation. Dr. Wald relocated to Boston in 1999 to be near her three grown children and their families. In Boston she has been active in several institutions specializing in learning during retirement. She is one of the authors of New Pathways for Aging, published in 2008 by the Harvard Institute for Leaning in Retirement (HILR).
Rhoada Wald 
Rhoada, I am a voice from our Great Neck past – Lois B. Grayck.
My reason for looking for you on-line is because I have been working on a protest article re assaults on academic freedom and specifically re vote to support BDS by US Women’s Studies Assoc. I thought of you because you attended the conference on women in Durban, I think it was, where the slogan, Zionism is Racism, was promoted. Was this a UN sponsored conference?
A note about me – I moved to Denver about 5 years ago, live in an independent senior facility, am the “resident rabbi/leader of our weekly Shabbat services, of our community-wide Passover Seder, of hamantashen-baking sessions.” Doing some writing – poetry, creative non-fiction pieces about my life for children and grandchildren. Singing in two choirs, taking courses in literature, writing, philosophy, Hebrew poets, music, etc. at near-by Univ.of Denver enrichment program, still cooking and baking, exercising to keep my reluctant knees moving.
I would love to hear from you! My GN years were a turning point for me and you were a part of that.
Love and Shalom, Lois
Dear Lois, Sorry I did nto get back to you but this is the first time Ihave seen you email. Please send me your email address and I will write to you. rhoadawald@gmail.com
I attend OLLI at Brandeis, and picked up your book The Myth of the Yellow Kitchen last Wednesday. By page 9, I believed that I was reading my life story, yellow kitchen included; married a month after college graduation, my divorce, 2 daughters, more wrong men than I care to count, etc. It would be a great honor to talk to you or meet you or hear you speak, and thank you in person. I write for the BOLLI blog at Brandeis and would invite you to speak at our Writers Guild if you are available. Thank you so much for your inspiring story.
Dear Rhoada, I love your blog, but one major achievement is missing, I believe everyone would like to know how you joined a ukulele band!, of course as a fellow writer and memoirist, I like knowing all of this which fills out your “yellow kitchen”. You are my sherie and I’m so happy you are my friend.
I wrote SHERO, you know feminine hero, but my smart technology replaced the spelling, you are my shero. XO Mol
Dear Molly, This is the first time I read your emails. I never knew they were even there. Next time I write a bio I will include the ukulele. rho