As Kinori Sugihara Rosnow stepped onto the lacrosse field in Netanya, Israel, the significance of the moment went beyond just a tally in the win column. For the 29-year-old Japanese national team player, the game represented the collision of his two worlds. His mother’s Japanese heritage and his father’s Jewish roots intertwined, symbolizing the complexities of his own identity.
Rosnow’s journey began in Brookline, Massachusetts, where he was born to a Jewish father, Harley Rosnow, and a non-Jewish Japanese mother, Yuriko Sugihara. The family later relocated to Kirkland, Washington, where Rosnow’s parents intentionally raised their children to identify with both their Jewish and Japanese heritages. They celebrated Shabbat and High Holidays, and Rosnow had a bar mitzvah.
Rosnow’s intense interest in lacrosse began in sixth grade, but he didn’t learn the fundamentals of the game until high school. However, it was in 10th grade that he had a “defining moment” that solidified his dedication to the sport. Despite being disappointed by not receiving playing time, Rosnow made a promise to himself to become so good that his coaches would have to play him.
Rosnow’s hard work paid off, and he was recruited to play Division III at Oberlin College in Ohio. His big break came when Oberlin’s lead face-off player transferred schools, leaving an opening that Rosnow was eager to fill. He won 206 out of 288 face-off attempts, ranking third in his conference, and was named team captain his senior year.
Rosnow’s passion for lacrosse led him to move to Japan, where he made the national team and played in the 2018 World Lacrosse Championship. That match against Israel, held in Netanya, held a special meaning for Rosnow, who felt his Japanese and Jewish identities converging. “Playing in this game was like the collision of my two worlds,” he reflected.
Rosnow’s success on the field continued, and he even tried out for the Denver Outlaws, a professional team. However, an injury and the pandemic derailed his progress, and he eventually found himself without a team. Undeterred, Rosnow continued to train and eventually made the Japanese national team in sixes, a fast-paced version of lacrosse that will debut in the Olympics in 2028.
Rosnow’s experiences on the lacrosse field have also given him a platform to connect with other Jewish athletes, including those on Israel’s national teams. Despite the challenges of balancing his athletic schedule with his Jewish commitments, Rosnow has been fortunate not to face significant antisemitism in his athletic career.
However, Rosnow has acknowledged the impact of the Israel-Hamas war and the subsequent surge in antisemitic incidents, which has made him more cautious in sharing his heritage. “I’d say the main shift has been, and I hate to say it, it’s been about how comfortable I feel being open about my heritage,” he reflected.
As Rosnow looks ahead to the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships, the prospect of facing Israel again brings him back to the 2018 match, which he describes as a moment of self-acknowledgment. “I just felt like I was heard,” he said, “and that play for me was enough to say thank you.”
