Barry and Barbara Rosen speak to high school students

Mr. Rosen was a former US diplomat and the press attache at the United States Embassy in Tehran, Iran when it was taken over during the Iranian Revolution in 1979. Mr. Rosen spent the next 444 days held by Iranian militants under the leadership of the Ayatollah Khomeini.

Mr. Rosen spoke to Washingtonville High School students on Tuesday, June 6 about his experiences as a hostage, the PTSD that came as a result of the crisis and his extensive knowledge of US-Iranian diplomatic relations since the events from 1979-1981.

During this same time, Mrs. Barbara Rosen was home in Brooklyn, NY,  a school teacher, and mother of two younger children. Over the same time period that Mr. Rosen was held captive, Mrs. Rosen spent her time advocating for her husband and the other fifty-one hostages to be released by the Iranian regime. Furthermore, she met with President Jimmy Carter, and other members of his administration, as well as other leaders, including a brief audience with Pope John Paul II. Mrs. Rosen focused her efforts to advocate for the safe release of the fifty-two hostages, and her ability to juggle the role of wife, mother, teacher, and the unexpected role of advocate.