Odeda Z Katz Rosenthal was raised in Jerusalem and grew up speaking three languages. She later moved with her family to New York City, where she earned a BA from The City College of New York and met her husband Abner Rosenthal.
She earned an MA in Comparative Languages from Hunter College. She taught high school and college, wrote for the East Hampton Star, spent six months in New Zealand, and authored books on colorblindness and the Jewish history of New Zealand.