In their Wyckoff home, Rebecca and Rosh Jaffe have carved out space for creativity—a studio and workshop where they each pursue their passions. Rosh, a lawyer at CSG, hones his carpentry and woodworking skills, a hobby he's enjoyed since childhood. Rebecca operates her professional art studio, creating original, series-driven abstract work that reflects her journey as a woman, artist, and mother.
It's a life they built together over nearly two decades, starting with a reluctant first date in Hoboken.
A Reluctant First Date
Rebecca, originally from Ridgewood and a graduate of Ridgewood High School and The University of Hartford, was working as a head buyer for New York & Company when a friend and co-worker suggested she meet a law school friend of her fiancé.
Rosh, who grew up in Short Hills before going to Muhlenberg and then law school, seemed like a good match, but wasn't an easy sell.
"I had just gotten out of a long-term relationship and wasn't interested in dating at the time," said Rebecca.
Her friend persisted. "She told me that Rosh was Jewish and lived in Hoboken," said Rebecca. "She twisted my arm and I finally gave her permission to give him my phone number."
The courtship began on the phone and through instant messaging.
"We talked on the phone for about six weeks before our first date," said Rebecca.
"I cooked her chicken oreganata at my apartment for our first date," said Rosh.
Rosh said he was drawn to Rebecca's empathy and individuality.
"She doesn't blend in with the crowd," he said.
Rosh proposed on a pier in Hoboken, and the couple married at Pier 60 in New York City in 2008.
The Long Road to Family
The couple wanted to start a family soon after and sought medical guidance.
"The first fertility doctor told me I needed to choose between my career in fashion or focusing on starting a family," said Rebecca. "I was a director at the time working 14- to 16-hour days and weekends."
After multiple rounds of IVF, their daughter Sloane was born in 2010.
They relocated to Wyckoff in 2012 with the hopes of further expanding their family. But the years that followed brought more fertility challenges and a diagnosis of "secondary infertility."
"My friends were getting pregnant easily," said Rebecca. "I needed to be happy for them while privately struggling."
After 7 years of exhausting options, the Jaffes turned to surrogacy.
Working with a physician in San Diego, they were matched with an embryo donor and later matched with a surrogate.
"The financial and emotional costs were significant," said Rebecca. "There were medical expenses, legal fees, and many sacrifices along the way."
The family traveled to Texas for the planned delivery.
"Arden was born right into my arms," said Rebecca.
Rebecca, along with her mother and mother-in-law, lived in Texas for about four weeks.
"I would fly back and forth with Sloane, who was in third grade at the time," said Rosh.
Just three months after the Jaffes settled into being a family of four, the pandemic hit.
"Rosh had spent nine years building his career, working constantly, so it was actually a gift to have him home with the girls," said Rebecca.
Married for 18 years, the couple decided to share their story publicly.
"There is a stigma around fertility and the struggle is shrouded in secrecy," said Rosh.
Rebecca added that the decade of fertility challenges felt deeply isolating.
"As a woman, you're told your body is supposed to be able to do this, but infertility is far more common than people realize. So many women are struggling in silence—talking about it openly helps normalize the experience," said Rebecca.
Art as Expression
Through her art, Rebecca found a way to express the complex emotions of her journey, hoping it might provide help to others facing similar struggles.
In the years prior to Arden's arrival, Rebecca's professional artistic journey started with the launch of The Craft House, an art studio offering classes for children in the community.
"I loved teaching kids and creating a space for them to explore creatively," she said.
The pandemic caused The Craft House to shut down.
This served as a turning point, allowing Rebecca to pivot and process her "lived experiences" through her art. She started building a brand from the ground up and creating two series.
The Becoming: a body of work that is a direct reflection of her decade of infertility treatments, of holding opposing emotions at the same time, grief and joy. Pieces from this series were created using a layered collage process—hand-painted papers are torn, repositioned, and adhered over time—to echo the complexity and patience of her journey.
The Shapeshifter Diaries: A series Rebecca calls a "love letter to women," exploring the shifting identities of the "magical multitaskers" who balance careers and families.
"We shift between being the boss, a gentle nurturer, a fierce protector and a patient teacher, that is a super power that deserves to be celebrated," said Rebecca.
Rebecca is working to bridge the gap between mass-produced art from big box stores and the often-intimidating world of traditional galleries. Her goal is to make gallery-quality work feel approachable and attainable while continuing her mission of fostering connection and supporting small and women-owned businesses.
She remains focused on expanding the brand she's building, Rebecca Jaffe Art, with plans to offer courses online as well as in person adult art classes for women to have their own time to be able to express themselves.
Rebecca in her studio.Wyckoff Life
The Jaffe family loves Wyckoff life.
Today the girls are 6-years-old and 15-years-old and attend Lincoln Elementary School and Indian Hills High School.
They cherish the community, from the annual block parties, the fireworks and dad's night, to walking the neighborhood and shopping at Boulder Run.
The family also enjoys attending live performances and hiking at local parks and reservations and spending as much time as possible with their two dogs, Odie, an 11-year-old Cavalier King Charles and Jassie, an 8-year-old rescue.
Having spent years prioritizing medical treatments and travel for fertility, the family is now embracing a new chapter of freedom, including an upcoming trip to Aruba.
You can see more of Rebecca's art at rebeccajaffeart.com
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