The 2019 Sister Rose Thering Fund Newsletter

The Sister Rose Thering Fund for Education in Jewish-Christian Studies Fostering understanding and cooperation among Jews, Christians and people of other religious traditions through advocacy and education.

Volu me X X V • S u m me r 2 019

S e t on H a l l Un i v e r sit y

Annual Celebrations Honor SRTF Leaders and Legacies He was there at the beginning when friends gathered with Sister Rose Thering to celebrate her 50th anniversary as a Sister of St. Dominic. He proudly recounts the story of how these friends would commit to a gift in her honor to express their admiration for Rose and solidarity with her work. The gift would grow to become the fund which bears her name to this day. He would become the first Executive Director of what is currently the Sister Rose Thering Fund for Education in Jewish-Christian Studies (SRTF) and her many friends would become charter members of a Board which would carry on her legacy for over 26 years. He is David M. Bossman, Ph.D. who has faithfully and selflessly served for more than a quarter century in promoting the message and mission of SRTF - mutual respect, understanding and religious tolerance through community advocacy and teacher education in Jewish-Christian Studies. After leading and guiding the Fund for all these years and after 34 years of service to Seton Hall as University Provost and Professor of Jewish-Christian Studies, David has opened a new chapter in his life as he begins a well-earned retirement.

While David may have moved on to new adventures and moved south to slow his pace, he is probably best known for moving the hearts and minds of his countless students who have learned to see life and the world around them with new eyes and insight. Perhaps that captures best the legacy that David has left not only to his students but woven into his students as well as into the University and the Fund like threads in a fine tapestry. While the picture is taking shape, it is not yet complete. Like Sister Rose, David’s legacy is a gift that will keep on giving and living for years to come.

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments but what is woven into the lives of others.”

Pericles

Dr. David Bossman and Sister Rose Thering at one of many SRTF programs

On hearing the news of David’s retirement, the Fund chose to honor him at this year’s Evening of Roses Gala on June 4 with the Sister Rose Thering Fund Lifetime Achievement Award in celebration and recognition of his service and many accomplishments. As it happened, this year the Fund also spotlighted the legacy of Sister Rose Thering with a first-ever Sister Rose Thering Legacy

Day program on May 6, the actual 13th anniversary of her Yahrzeit (anniversary of death). How fitting to bookend the tributes to both these co-founders, leaders and pillars of the Sister Rose Thering Fund who, together, harnessed the “power of teachers to stem the tide of ignorance in our schools and in society.”

We invite you to read and learn more about the contributions of both David and Sister Rose in the articles about David’s retirement, the Evening of Roses and the Legacy Day included in this newsletter. More stories and information can also be found on our website at www.shu.edu/go/sisterrose including a tribute video for David. While a few pages cannot possibly capture the extent of the legacies that both Sister Rose and David “left behind,” we hope they can inspire us all to follow in their footsteps until the tapestry is complete and the picture reveals a world without prejudice.

Although we are saddened to see David leave, we send him off with our gratitude for all he has done for SRTF and with our best wishes for much joy, health and happiness in his retirement. Mazel Tov!

Sister Rose Thering Fund Hosts Legacy Day Event On May 6, the Sister Rose Thering Fund honored the voice and passion of Sister Rose with a special presentation and private reception for 50 supporters in Bethany Hall.

Sister Rose Thering Legacy Day provided an opportunity for SRTF friends, donors and teacher-scholars, as well as community leaders, SHU students, faculty and administrators, and members of the New Jersey

Commission on Holocaust Education to celebrate the work of the Fund’s namesake.

The program opened with the lighting of a commemorative Yahrzeit candle, a Jewish tradition that honors loved ones who have passed away, followed by SRTF Chair Emerita Luna Kaufman sharing memories of her long friendship with Sister Rose, a decades-long bond that lasted until Sister continued on page 10

Welcome, Monsignor Anthony Ziccardi Interim Executive Director We are pleased to welcome Monsignor Ziccardi, a long-time trustee and good friend of the SRTF Board, in this new role and pledge our ongoing support to him as we move forward. The following brief biography of Monsignor Ziccardi reflects the breadth of experience and knowledge that he brings in this capacity to steer us through this time of transition.

Rev. Msgr. C. Anthony Ziccardi, S.T.D., S.S.L. Adjunct Professor of Biblical Studies School of Theology Monsignor C. Anthony Ziccardi is presently Seton Hall University’s Vice President for Mission and Ministry and the Secretary Designee to the Board of Regents. He assumed both responsibilities in October 2006.

He was born in Italy but grew up in New Jersey. Having graduated summa cum laude from Seton Hall with a B.A. in sociology and a Master of Divinity degree, he was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark in 1990. Subsequently, he received a licentiate degree in Sacred Scripture (S.S.L., magna cum laude) from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and a doctoral degree in biblical theology (S.T.D., summa cum laude) from the Pontifical Gregorian University, also in Rome.

Dean Announces SRTF Interim Leadership Appointment Peter Shoemaker, Ph.D., Professor and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences shared the following announcement with the SRTF Board of Trustees about the appointment of Rev. Msgr. C. Anthony Ziccardi, S.S.L., S.T.D. as Interim Executive Director of the Sister Rose Thering Fund effective July 1, 2019.

On behalf of myself and Provost Karen Boroff, I am pleased to announce that Monsignor C. Anthony Ziccardi has graciously agreed to serve as Executive Director ad interim of the Sister Rose Thering Fund, effective July 1st, 2019. A graduate of Seton Hall (B.A., M.Div.), the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome

As an academic, he has served as an assistant professor of biblical studies at Seton Hall’s Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology and as the school’s Associate Dean from 1998-2002. His doctoral dissertation was published as a book under the title of The Relationship of Jesus and the Kingdom of God in Luke-Acts, and his articles and book reviews have appeared in The Princeton Seminary Bulletin, Chicago Studies, Homiletic and Pastoral Review, Biblica and The Catholic Biblical Quarterly.

(S.S.L.), and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (S.T.D.),

As a priest, he has served as personal secretary to the Archbishop of Newark and as pro-rector of Sacred Heart Cathedral Basilica in Newark. Currently, he continues to serve as a Censor Librorum for the Archdiocese, and he offers his part-time pastoral services to the parishes of St. Francis in Ridgefield Park and St. Anne in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. He also serves as spiritual director for a number of seminarians at Immaculate Conception Seminary. He was named a Chaplain to His Holiness Benedict XVI in March 2009.

Program Director Clare Giangreco at the helm, SRTF is in very

Msgr. Ziccardi is presently Seton Hall University’s Vice President for Mission and Ministry and the Secretary Designee to the Board of Regents. He is a strong supporter of SRTF, and I am confident that the program will benefit from his distinguished academic background and extensive administrative experience during this period of transition. With Msgr. Ziccardi and capable hands indeed.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank David Bossman for his 30+ years of service to SRTF. I think that it is fair to say there would be no SRTF if not for David’s work, and I am grateful to him for bringing the program to the College of Arts of Sciences, where it has thrived under his humane and committed leadership.

Finally, I would like to extend my gratitude to the Board: you are the stewards of Sister Rose’s legacy, and we depend upon your continued support.

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A Message From Our

Chair of the Board Melinda Hanlon

Dear Friends of the Sister Rose Thering Fund, The last year has been a time of celebration and transition for the Sister Rose Thering Fund. The year 2018 marked the 25th anniversary year for our organization and we can look back with pride at a shared history of working to continue the legacy of Sister Rose Thering, O.P., Ph.D., as we support the Jewish-Christian studies program at Seton Hall University and support our teacher-scholars. As you peruse these pages you will read about the achievements of our teacher-scholars, the generosity of our friends and donors and the crowning event of our calendar year, our annual Evening of Roses Gala.

Our theme for the 2018-2019 year was “Keeping the Story Alive for the Next Generation” as we work to honor the stories of our Holocaust survivors and carry them forward for future generations. At our annual Dr. Marcia Robbins Wilf Lecture in the fall, grandchildren of Holocaust survivors and a WWII liberator participated in a panel discussion, “The Next Generation: Will The Story Survive? A Panel of Third Generation Voices Responds.” Dr. Robbins Wilf, who sponsors the annual program, shared how bringing the program to fruition represented a pivotal step toward ensuring that the story will live on. Mr. Michael Rubell, son of a Holocaust survivor and Director of the Morris Rubell Holocaust Remembrance Journeys, moderated the panel discussion and offered many thought-provoking questions for the participants to explore.

The theme of this year’s Essay Competition for High School students was “The Holocaust: Keeping the Lessons Alive.” As the finalists shared their winning essays at our Celebration of Education Reception in April, we continued to realize how the student essay competition truly represents our work as a Board to promote inter-religious dialogue and combat prejudice. Each year, we are impressed by the depth and compassion of the students’ response to the film “Sister Rose’s Passion.”

At our annual Evening of Roses Gala in June, we were very honored to welcome two extraordinary guest speakers and ambassadors of peace, Archbishop Roberto González Nieves, OFM, Archbishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Mr. Elisha Wiesel, Co-Chief Information Officer, Goldman Sachs and son of Marion and Elie Wiesel. That evening we celebrated two dear friends, David M. Bossman, Ph.D. and Deborah Lerner Duane, for their service and dedication to the Sister Rose Thering Fund. A founding member of the SRTF Board of Trustees, Dr. Bossman has served as the Fund’s Executive Director since 1993. As professor in the Jewish-Christian Studies program here at Seton Hall University and contemporary of Sister Rose Thering, his life’s work has been dedicated to the pursuit of interreligious dialogue and understanding. Dr. Bossman was presented with the Sister Rose Thering Fund Lifetime Achievement Award.

Deborah Lerner Duane, Chair Emerita of the SRTF Board of Trustees, was honored for her extraordinary leadership and commitment to the mission of the Fund. A graduate of the Jewish-Christian Studies program here at Seton Hall, Ms. Lerner Duane is a true upstander in the tradition of Sister Rose and was presented with the Sister Rose Thering Fund Servant Leadership Award. The evening was marked by an extraordinary feeling of unity and collaboration. We are indebted to all who attended and supported our event. Your participation provided the all-important financial support for our teacher scholarships. Remember, when we fund a teacher, we are impacting a generation.

As we all know change is an inevitable but difficult fact of life. Such was the feeling we all shared when receiving the news of Dr. David Bossman’s retirement this spring. On behalf of the SRTF Board of Trustees, I congratulate David for his many accomplishments as Executive Director of the Sister Rose Thering Fund and extend our gratitude for his leadership and vision. We wish him a happy and healthy retirement and are grateful that he will be continuing as a trustee for the Fund. We are very thankful to Rev. Monsignor Anthony Ziccardi, S.T.D., S.S.L., Vice President for Mission and Ministry here at Seton Hall University, who has accepted the appointment as Interim Executive Director of the SRTF during this time of transition. We look forward to working with Monsignor Ziccardi as we continue the important work of the Sister Rose Thering Fund.

As we look ahead to the coming year, I am grateful to our executive committee members: Susan Feinstein, Vice-Chair, Alan Silberstein, Treasurer and Ruth Loew Schildiner, Secretary and our Program Manager, Clare Giangreco. We look forward to your presence and support for our SRTF events and fundraising initiatives. As we reflect on our accomplishments of the last year and the vision of Sister Rose Thering, we must also look forward as we strive to keep the stories alive for the next generations. Our Board of Trustees remains committed to fighting all forms of prejudice as we work to foster understanding among people of different religious traditions through education. This is our shared mission, to pay it forward as we support our teacher-scholars and promote Sister Rose’s commitment to transform the world through education. This story must live on for future generations if we are to achieve “Tikkun olam” and repair our world for all the world’s children.

Sincerely,

Melinda A. Hanlon Chair, Board of Trustees

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Keeping the Holocaust Story Alive: Third Generation Panel Responds at Annual Wilf Lecture

By Heather Mecka, SRTF Teacher-Scholar Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel once said, “For the survivor who chooses to testify, it is clear: his duty is to bear witness for the dead and for the living. He has no right to deprive future generations of a past that belongs to our collective memory. To forget would be not only dangerous but offensive; to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.”

For those of us who had the privilege to attend the Eighth Annual Dr. Marcia Robbins Wilf Lecture on Sunday, November 4, 2018 at Seton Hall University, the answer is truly evident: the stories of our Holocaust survivors must continue to be carried forward for this young generation and those to come. Yet, how can we do this when our survivors are aging and no longer able to share their stories?

During this lecture, sponsored by the Sister Rose Thering Fund for Education in Jewish-Christian Studies, this question was examined and eloquently answered by the grandchildren of Holocaust survivors in the discussion, “The Next Generation: Will The Story Survive? A Panel of Third Generation Voices Responds.” In her opening remarks, Dr. Marcia Robbins Wilf explained that she first planted the seed about the need for addressing this topic with Dr. Paul Winkler, former Executive

Dr. Marcia Robbins Wilf welcomes guests to eighth annual lecture

Director of the New Jersey Commission for Holocaust Education who passed away in 2016. For Dr. Robbins Wilf, bringing the idea to fruition represented a pivotal step toward ensuring that the story will live on. Mr. Michael Rubell, son of a Holocaust survivor and Director of the Morris Rubell Holocaust Remembrance Journeys, moderated the panel discussion and offered many thought-provoking questions for the five grandchildren of survivors to answer.

These panelists came from different walks of life and yet were tied together through the bond of being third generation voices.

Lisa Margolis, whose grandfather was a Holocaust survivor, told of the memories of the impact the Holocaust has had on her family, and the mission she has to share those stories with others. As a speech pathologist, she knows the importance of having a voice and takes this responsibility

very seriously. Manya Gaver, whose grandmother is Luna Kaufman, a camp survivor who has published memoirs about her experiences, shared the lessons of perseverance and open-mindedness that have deeply influenced her as a result of Luna’s mission of social justice. Ms. Kaufman is also a founding trustee of the Sister Rose Thering Fund and a Chairman emerita of the Board of Trustees. Jonathan Hanlon, whose grandfather served in the 11th Armored Division for the United States during World War II and was instrumental in liberating Mauthausen Concentration Camp, spoke of his belief in being an upstander. He plans to carry forward the stories he has heard from family members about the role his grandfather played in rescuing camp prisoners from the torture, dehumanization, and horror of a concentration camp.

Alexa Joachim shared how her life has been shaped by the experiences of her paternal grandfather, an Auschwitz survivor, and her maternal grandmother, who survived the Holocaust in Nazi-occupied France.

Another panelist, Amanda Lanceter, spoke of the impact that her grandmother, Gina Lanceter, a Holocaust survivor who attended the program, has had on her life.

Ms. Lanceter shared how the experiences of her grandmother led her to pursue a career in Holocaust education; she considers it her mission to teach others about

After a “passing the torch” ceremony, Holocaust survivors gather with Dr. Marcia Robbins Wilf (front row center) and other second and third generation children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors and liberators.

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moved by their offspring. The Marcia Robbins Wilf Lecture seems to outdo itself with each passing year.”

Michael Rubell (right), panel moderator, and the five third generation panelists

challenging all to “zachor,” the Hebrew word for “remember.”

the lessons of what we can learn from the past. She is currently the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in Battery Park City, New York, – and devotes her life to teaching the younger generation about the Holocaust in order to prevent the past from repeating itself in the future.

After an engaging question and answer session with the audience, the program continued with a beautiful Passing of the Torch Ceremony, in which the several Holocaust survivors who were present symbolically passed a burning candle, with their stories and their hope, to the second generation, and then on to the third generation members. Then, all program participants were invited to join the survivor families in carrying the torch to keep the story alive until every ember of prejudice and bigotry is extinguished forever.

Lastly, Michael Rubell gathered all present together to sing an inspiring and moving song which he wrote, “Be The Change,”

Ann Burgmeyer, Program Co-Chair for the lecture, reflected on the positive response.

“We were all so moved by the inter-generational participation and the depth of emotion this event evoked. Michael Rubell was a wonderful planner and moderator of this program; the families of the third generation must have been so proud and

Reacting to the day’s program, Dr. Marcia Robbins Wilf commented, “The day was everything and more than I expected it to be.

After this event, I know that the story will survive.” A reception, graciously sponsored by the Dr. Marcia Robbins Wilf Endowment Fund, followed the program, where all participants were able to gather, socialize, enjoy refreshments, and share stories.

Echoing Dr. Robbins Wilf’s sentiments, by the conclusion of this amazing event, it was extraordinarily clear that the answer to the question “Will The Story Survive?” is a resounding yes. These five third generation voices proved that the messages and the lessons of the Holocaust survivors will continue to teach, inspire, and influence the future.

Pictured from right to left, Michael Rubell and Dr. Marcia Robbins Wilf share a moment with the four Holocaust survivors present at the lecture: Luna Kaufman, Gina Lanceter, Ed Bindel of blessed memory, Peter Fleischmann.

IN MEMORIAM Hattie Segal October 7, 1916 – December 3, 2018 In December 2018, the Sister Rose Thering Fund lost a great treasure and dear friend when Hattie Segal passed away at the age of 102. Hattie was a founding trustee, a pillar of the Fund, and a person, who, like Sister Rose Thering, valued the role of teachers for building a better world.

The SRTF Board of Trustees is indebted to Hattie for establishing The Hattie and Arnold Segal Endowed Fellowship in 2016 created as an enduring legacy to pay homage to her dear friend, Sister Rose Thering. We are grateful for this lasting and living gift but most especially for the great gift that Hattie has been to the Sister Rose Thering Fund. Her name is indeed a blessing for many. She will be greatly missed.

A woman of valor, who can find?

Her worth is far above jewels.

She is robed in strength and dignity, and Cheerfully faces whatever may come.

She opens her mouth with wisdom.

Her tongue is guided by kindness.

Many women have done superbly But you surpass them all.

Excerpted from Proverbs 31

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Annual Evening of Roses:

Carrying Forwar

By Lorraine Joyce vice president At the 26th annual for Mission and Evening of Roses Ministry, and secon Tuesday, June 4, retary designee the theme of “keepto the Board of ing the story alive Regents. Before for generations” was introducing feareflected in speechtured speaker es, song and video Elisha Wiesel, reflections. Honoree co-chief inforDavid M. Bossman, mation officer Ph.D., professor of at Goldman Jewish-Christian Sachs and son r e Studies at Seton Hall orah Lern an and Deb m of Marion and ss o B id av and founding execuses.

Honorees D ening of Ro Ev 9 Elie Wiesel, 01 2 e tive director of the Sister Duane at th a video from the 1998 Rose Thering Fund, is Evening of Roses event was shown at retiring after 34 years of service to the which Elie Wiesel was presented an honUniversity. Sister Rose Thering Fund Chair orary doctorate degree from Seton Hall Emerita Deborah Lerner Duane was also University. It featured his father Elie chanthonored during the event. ing in Hebrew “Ani Ma’amin,” which was Greeting the crowd of more than 160 often sung by Jews as they were marched guests, Seton Hall’s Interim President Mary to the gas chambers in the Nazi death J. Meehan, Ph.D., noted that the Sister Rose camps. The lyrics translate, “I believe in Thering Fund is “vitally important to the perfect faith of the coming of the Messiah.”

University. It is an example to our students Elisha Wiesel, after seeing the video, said, that God wants us to live in peace, especial“What an amazing moment to see my ly during these difficult times.” She added, father, singing about the return of the “We couldn’t have asked for better leaders Messiah.” He then spoke about his own than David Bossman and Deborah Lerner return to Auschwitz, the site where his Duane. [Their] dedication has brought the father’s family was deported 75 years Sister Rose Fund to a high point.” ago. While there with his son, Elisha reThe invocation was delivered by Monread Night, the autobiographical account signor C. Anthony Ziccardi, S.T.D., S.S.L., of Elie Wiesel and his experiences in the

concentration camps of Nazi Germany, to guide his journey and help visualize and retrace his family’s steps.

“The lessons we leave for our children remain in question … but when we act with courage, Jews and Christians [in fact] believe in the same God,” Wiesel remarked.

Following dinner, a musical program was performed by baritone Jason Detwiler and directed by Jason Tramm, D.M.A., assistant professor and director of choral activities at Seton Hall, and a trustee of the Sister Rose Thering Fund. “This is always an exciting group to be a part of,” said Tramm. “It’s a group that affects social change with so many people coming together to make an impact. There is a long history of music and art in this program, and I am proud to be a part of it.”

Featured speaker Elisha Wiesel, son of Elie and Marion Wiesel.

Dr. Mary Meehan, guest speakers Archbishop Gonzalez and Elisha Wiesel are joined by the trustees of the SRTF Board.

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rd the Message of Interfaith Understanding

ideas; that the next generation will not repeat, but rather undo, the mistakes we have made. That in one’s life, you can make a difference.”

She reflected on how different next year would be without her co-honoree — and friend — David Bossman. “Thank you for all you have given to the Fund, to Seton Hall and to me,” she said.

Featured speaker The Most Reverend Roberto Octavio González Nieves, O.F.M., Archbishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico

The next featured speaker was The Most Reverend Roberto Octavio González Nieves, O.F.M., Archbishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Born in Elizabeth, N.J., his father, Jesús Hiram González-Orta, was a Seton Hall alumnus and reportedly the first Puerto Rican to graduate from the University. Archbishop González remarked that he was the beneficiary of Sister Rose’s efforts, having been ordained as a bishop two decades after Vatican II. “I had hoped that the worst forms of bigotry had been resigned to history,” noted Archbishop González Nieves. “Sadly, I have realized the need to modify my hopes. Hate crimes and anti-Semitism continue to be on the rise. The works of Sister Rose continue to encourage dialogue.”

With a heartfelt introduction, Susan Feinstein, vice chair of the Sister Rose Thering Fund, presented the Sister Rose Thering Fund Servant Leadership Award to Deborah Lerner Duane.

Lerner Duane remarked that “the M.A. in Jewish-Christian studies program shows the human need for hope and new

Monsignor Ziccardi and Luna Kaufman, Chair Emerita of the Sister Rose Thering Fund, presented the Sister Rose Thering Fund Lifetime Achievement Award to David Bossman.

“After we lost Sister Rose, David was the guiding light of this enterprise and led us through a difficult time,” said Kaufman, who is herself a Holocaust survivor. She announced that a sponsored scholarship honoring David Bossman would be established for the upcoming academic year.

(Please see sidebar for ways to contribute.)

During a tribute video compiled for the occasion, Bossman’s friends and fellow founding trustees, many of whom have worked with him since the Fund was established in 1993, offered words of praise and well wishes.

In his own remarks, Bossman thanked Lerner Duane, Kaufman and “all the teachers who carry the message with a free heart and a full commitment. Sister Rose had a commitment to family, career and religious community,” he said. “Tonight, we have a strong presence in the same light.” His words were met with a standing ovation from the crowd. continued on page 9

SRTF Sponsored Scholarship In Honor of David M. Bossman, Ph.D. For the academic year 20192020, the Sister Rose Thering Fund will award a sponsored scholarship to a teacher-scholar in honor of Dr. David Bossman.

We gratefully acknowledge all those who have made donations allowing us to offer this scholarship. Additional donations are gladly being accepted and are most welcome.

This is a wonderful way to pay tribute to Dr. Bossman and to continue his great legacy to interreligious understanding and dialogue, to education and learning, to SRTF and Seton Hall University. Please see the reply envelope included with this newsletter for details on making a donation.

Scholarship Benefactors Ann Burgmeyer Piotr Dudek Susan Feinstein Clare Giangreco Paul Gibbons Sr. Mary Gomolka, RSM Melinda and Wayne Hanlon Louis Izzi Luna Kaufman Deborah Lerner Duane Mary McGuire Przemek Murczkiewicz Dr. Marcia Robbins Wilf Shiri Rosenthal Alan Silberstein Laura Silva Maria Smelkova Anne Toder Cherelle Tolor, Esq. Bob Woog

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Students and Teacher-Scholars Applauded by Sister Rose Thering Fund

By Christine Aromando and Lorraine Joyce Inspired by the ideals and example of Sister Rose Thering, O.P., Ph.D., high school students, teacher-scholars and scholarship benefactors gathered with the SRTF Board of Trustees in Bethany Hall on Sunday, April 7, to celebrate educational excellence at the annual Celebration of Education Spring Reception. Tied together by a common bond, the combined celebration allowed the Fund to recognize both the winners of the tenth annual high school essay competition as well as the Sister Rose Thering Fund scholarship recipients, all of whom are teachers and graduate students in the Jewish-Christian Studies Program.

Understanding the importance of activism for change, the theme of this year’s essay competition, which was open to all high schools in New Jersey, was “The Holocaust: Keeping the Lessons Alive.” Students were shown the Oscarnominated film Sister Rose’s Passion and were then asked to submit a 500-word essay about how Sister Rose Thering stood up for the Jewish community to eradicate anti-Semitism. Inspired by the life work of Sister Rose Thering, students reflected on how they might address injustice or prejudice in their school or local community today as well as the importance of passing on the lessons of the Holocaust from generation to generation.

“The student essay competition truly represents our work as a Board to promote inter-religious dialogue and combat prejudice,” said Melinda Hanlon, chair of the Board of Trustees for the Sister Rose Thering Fund. “Each year, we are impressed by the depth and compassion of the students’ responses to our mission and the film’s message to be an Upstander in our world.”

Approximately 107 students from 19 different high schools had their essays submitted by their teachers, and the first-place winners and honorable mentions – separated by high school grade level – were in attendance with their families and friends as they were honored for their outstanding work.

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These young upstanders were: GRADE 9 Reese Trowbridge First Place Bayonne High School Polina Kukhar Honorable Mention: Bayonne High School GRADE 10 Jenna Downey First Place Bayonne High School Vanessa Bellotti Honorable Mention Holmdel High School GRADE 11 Marcelle Brooks First Place Rahway High School Angel Barahona-Reyes Honorable Mention Barack Obama Green Charter High School GRADE 12 Jamie Rossig First Place Pascack Hills High School Danaiza Davis Honorable Mention American History High School Both the film and the essay competition provide a great opportunity to engage students in a meaningful dialogue about imagining a world without prejudice. It also offers an opportunity to provide education in compliance with the New Jersey Mandate for Genocide and Holocaust Education, which requires that teaching about the Holocaust and genocide be included for all students in grades K-12.

Lessons can address issues of bias, prejudice and bigotry including bullying.

“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference.

The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference.

And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”

- Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize winner and Holocaust victims advocate

“Sister Rose challenges young people to care about what is going on in society, especially to care when people need help,” said David Bossman, founding Executive Director of the Fund. “When students in middle and high school are moved to finding ways of helping others, after watching Sister Rose’s Passion, writing an essay is a fine way to persuade others to care as well.”

The guest speaker at the event was Jessica Wang, founding member of 3GNJ (Third Generation New Jersey). This educational, not-for-profit organization brings together descendants of Holocaust survivors to preserve the legacies and lessons of the Holocaust as well as educate diverse communities about the perils of intolerance.

Wang spoke about her family’s story — her grandparents as Holocaust survivors — and why she is committed to keeping its lessons alive for future generations through her involvement with 3GNJ. After Ms. Wang’s presentation, the SRTF teacher-scholars for the academic year 2018-2019 were recognized and presented with certificates naming the sponsor of the scholarship whose generosity made it possible for them to enroll in their courses tuition free. This year there were 18 scholarships provided over the fall and spring semesters to 10 teacher-scholars, thanks to the generosity of sponsored scholarship donors to the SRTF. Many of the scholarship donors were on hand to meet their scholarship recipients and present the certificates personally.

For several of the scholarships named in memory of loved ones, family members of the person for whom the scholarship was named traveled great distances to attend the ceremony to be present for the tribute.

Dick Ognibene and his son Christopher made the drive from the Albany area to present the scholarship sponsored by Dr. David Bossman and named in memory of Dr. Elaine Ognibene to Jacqueline Delatour.

Dick Ognibene is a past Dean of the College of Education Human Services at Seton Hall University and addressed the event

attendees to express his appreciation.

Amanda Volker-Loguidice traveled from Long Island representing her father, Joseph Volker, former SRTF Vice Chair of the Board to present the scholarship named, in part, in memory of her mother and Joseph’s wife, Elizabeth Kelly Volker to Sarina Drummond.

Not only did this noteworthy event offer the opportunity for our sponsored scholarship donors to meet their scholarship recipients, donors as well as Board members and other friends of SRTF who attended saw the fruits of the SRTF mission at work in the classrooms as the message of Sister Rose echoed in the winning high school students.

The following are excerpts from two of the first-place essays: Jamie Rossig, Grade 12, Pascack Hills High School “Sister Rose believes that it is crucial that the story and lessons of the Holocaust are passed on from generation to generation.

I agree that continuing education is so important because the smallest derogatory comments can develop into unthinkable violence that we unfortunately already know is, indeed, humanly possible. Moreover, passing on the memories of the Holocaust becomes more and more important as the number of survivors and artifacts begins to dwindle. There is only so much tangible evidence left, so it is crucial that we continue to document testimonies and pass on the lessons we have learned.”

Marcelle Brooks, Grade 11, Rahway High School

Ruth Loew Schildiner, Sister Rose Thering Fund Trustee and Essay Competition Chair, believes the essay winners have “honored Sister Rose in their understanding that knowledge is the most powerful weapon with which to fight hatred and bigotry.” She adds, “In today’s political climate, it is crucial that young minds be exposed to the risks associated with prejudice.”

“Maybe not right now, but I see Sister Rose as my future. Like her, l want to leave the world better than I found it. I aspire to be assertive and strong-minded as she, speaking out during a time when the world wanted nothing more than for women to be silent. Most of all, I want to have Sister Rose’s compassion for her fellow man, a love that was so great she went against everything she ever knew to be true.”

Evening of Roses continued from page 7 Melinda Hanlon, chair of the Board of Trustees, Sister Rose Thering Fund, echoed the crowd’s sentiment in her remarks: “David, you are the keeper of the faith and the compass we need.”

Earlier in the evening, Heather Mecka, one of the Sister Rose Thering Fund teacher-scholars, read quotes from fellow classmates honoring Bossman. She added her own thoughts: “David, the impact you had on others is a ripple effect. We have shared what we learned with our students and colleagues, who then took very seriously the responsibility to carry this knowledge.”

To close the evening, Cantor Perry Fine of Temple Beth Shalom, Livingston, N.J., chanted a Jewish blessing and commented, “David and Deborah, your lives are filled with mitzvahs, good deeds. I hope you feel the love that we feel here for you.”

Kaufman’s granddaughter Manya Gaver then sang “Let There Be Peace on Earth”, with the entire audience joining in.

Peter Shoemaker, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, offered his congratulations to Dr. Bossman on his retirement. “I know that he will be sorely missed as a gifted teacher, distinguished scholar and valued colleague, who graced the College with his warmth of spirit and humanity,” said Dr. Shoemaker.

“Thanks to the work of David Bossman and Deborah Lerner Duane, Sister Rose Thering and her message of interfaith understanding continue to inspire the Seton Hall community — and the world.”

To view a gallery of photos of the evening, please visit our website at www. shu.edu/go/sisterrose. Also available on our homepage are the links for the David Bossman tribute video, the video of the entire gala and an online copy of the commemorative ad journal.

Retiring SRTF Co-Founder Passing the Torch David Bossman joined the University’s graduate department of Jewish-Christian Studies, which was founded by Monsignor John Oesterreicher in 1974. While serving as a professor, Bossman developed a set of graduate courses to prepare elementary and secondary educators to implement the New Jersey Mandate for Genocide and Holocaust Education in the school curricula, K-12. His own scholarly works focus on finding values across various religious traditions and discussing their application in the contemporary world.

Bossman particularly feels passionate about the Fund’s mission to craft and educate globally conscious teachers.

Since 1993, the Sister Rose Thering Fund has awarded on average eighteen tuition scholarships each year for teachers in the Jewish-Christian Studies graduate program.

“The enormous number of students that these teachers have reached and continue to reach goes a long way toward achieving continued on page 11

9

Legacy Day continued from page 1 Rose’s death on May 6 in 2006. Dr. David Bossman introduced the Academy Awardnominated documentary Sister Rose’s Passion, a film that 15 years after its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival still has meaning and significance as it brings to life the personality, perseverance and work of Sister Rose, exploring her role in resisting and preventing anti-Semitism.

The highlight of the Legacy Day program was SRTF trustee and treasurer Alan M. Silberstein’s presentation “Sister Rose Thering’s Battle Against Anti-Semitism.”

Mr. Silberstein’s talk described the effect Sister Rose had on the change in Church policy regarding Jews, and was originally part of the February 2018 End of Anti-Semitism conference in Vienna, sponsored by New York, Vienna and Tel Aviv universities. A lively Q&A followed. Asked to comment on what he learned from this study, he said, “I realized what a far-reaching impact a single individual can have on society – if they are principled and persistent, as Sister Rose most certainly was.”

SRTF teacher-scholar Sarina Drummond, who teaches social studies at the Lincoln Middle School in Garwood, NJ, provided a response to Mr. Silberstein’s presentation, sharing her personal experiences growing up in late 20th century Germany, and describing how the German education system and government have dealt with the consequences and guilt of the Holocaust.

Ms. Drummond also reminded the Legacy Day guests how her SRTF scholarships have allowed her to take graduate courses in Jewish-Christian Studies at Seton Hall. “Being a recipient of the Sister Rose Thering Fund Scholarship has helped me in the classroom and helped me grow as an individual,” she said. “Being part of the Sister Rose Thering Fund has been a life changing opportunity for me. It has helped me be more aware about my responsibility to my students and my child. It has opened my eyes that although this world has come so far, we still have so much further to go.”

Article contributed by Deborah Lerner Duane

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SRTF Sponsored Scholarship Recipients FALL 2018

SPRING 2019

Julian Acebo

Julian Acebo

Curt C. and Else Silberman Scholarship

Curt C. and Else Silberman Scholarship

Scholarship in Honor of Marilyn Rosenbaum, Ann Burgmeyer & Clare Giangreco donated by Dr. David Bossman and Dr. Marcia Robbins Wilf

Sarina Drummond

Jacqueline Delatour

Lessons from the Holocaust

Jacqueline Delatour

Values for a Pluralistic Society

Lessons from the Holocaust

Curt C. and Else Silberman Scholarship

Personal Rights and Responsibilities

Strategies for Healing Interreligious Relations

Christian-Jewish Encounter

Curt C. and Else Silberman Scholarship

Scholarship In Memory of Dr. Elaine Ognibene donated by Dr. David Bossman

Janet Greve

Sarina Drummond

Daniel Excellent

Lessons from the Holocaust

Curt C. and Else Silberman Scholarship

Personal Rights and Responsibilities

Heather Mecka

Scholarship In Memory of Aaron Bernstein, M.D. donated by Ruth Bernstein and Scholarship in Memory of Elizabeth Kelly Volker Scholarship donated by multiple donors

Curt C. and Else Silberman Scholarship

Janet Greve

Mary McGuire

Values for a Pluralistic Society

Curt C. and Else Silberman Scholarship

Lessons from the Holocaust

Robert Rubinson

Christian-Jewish Encounter

Hattie and Arnold Segal Endowed Fellowship

Franklin Stebbins

Values for a Pluralistic Society

Curt C. and Else Silberman Scholarship

Jessyca Villareal

Christian-Jewish Encounter

Sister Rose Thering Scholarship

ef

Applications for scholarships are available on our website, www.shu.edu/go/sisterrose

Personal Rights and Responsibilities The Dr. Marcia Robbins Wilf Scholarship

Mary McGuire

Personal Rights and Responsibilities Scholarship In Honor of Luna Kaufman

Heather Mecka

Personal Rights and Responsibilities The Deborah Lerner Duane And Daniel J. Duane Scholarship

Robert Rubinson

Personal Rights and Responsibilities Scholarship in Memory of Elie Wiesel

Franklin Stebbins

Personal Rights and Responsibilities The Carol and Alan Silberstein Scholarship

Bossman Retirement continued from page 9 the vision of the Sister Rose Fund, a world free of religious prejudice, by educating school children in the values of diversity and cooperation as a means for building a more just and effective society for all,” said Bossman.

Graduate students often interact with members of the laity and the clergy from other regions of the world like Africa and Asia to gain a broader global perspective.

“Dr. Bossman has been the heart and soul of each class, and he has inspired us to see things through a humanitarian lens, above all,” said Mary McGuire, a former student. “He has shed light on concepts that I have not previously considered, and I know that my exploration of the world has been influenced by his teaching.”

News & Notes SRTF Teacher-Scholar Frank Stebbins, a teacher at Arthur L. Johnson High School in Clark (left, center) receiving the 2019 Hank Kaplowitz Human Rights Educator of the Year Award at the Kean University Human Rights Conference in March. Pictured with Frank are Freeholder Al Mirabella (left) and Dr. Hank Kaplowitz (right).

Right, Frank received the Unity Achievement Award by an Educator presented

by Lorraine Aklonis, Commissioner, Union County Human Relations Commission (UCHRC) in recognition for creating inspirational educational opportunities in the arena of human rights and cultural diversity.

SRTF TeacherScholar Julian Acebo (left) receiving the New Jersey Governor’s Award for Public Service.

Julian teaches at the Donald Stewart Elementary School in Elizabeth, NJ.

Although Bossman has retired as a professor, he will continue his ministerial work in inter-religious engagement. He plans to move to Charleston, South Carolina where he has served many years on the advisory board for the Charleston Interreligious Council and taught summer courses at the College of Charleston. He will continue as editor of Biblical Theology Bulletin.

“I leave Seton Hall with a renewed sense of purpose,” reflected Bossman. “Passing the torch to engaged board members and new faculty will continue the work of Monsignor Oesterreicher and the educational focus of Sister Rose Thering. The best is yet to come.”

Taken from SHU website article by Julia Mills

The Sister Rose Thering Fund Board of Trustees 2019-2020 Officers Melinda Hanlon, Chair • Susan Feinstein, Vice Chair Ruth Loew Schildiner, Secretary • Alan Silberstein, Treasurer Board of Trustees Paula Becker Alexander, Ph.D. Christine Aromando Gail Barry Andrea Bartoli, Ph.D. David M. Bossman, Ph.D. Rabbi Alan Brill, Ph.D. Ann Burgmeyer Ki Joo Choi, Ph.D. Monsignor Robert Coleman *Deborah Lerner Duane** Piotr Dudek** Michal (Miki) Fine** Reverend Lawrence Frizzell, D. Phil. *Paul Gibbons Sister Mary Gomolka, RSM Wayne Hanlon Louis Izzi** *Luna Kaufman Reverend John F. Morley, Ph.D. Karan Oleckna *Kenneth Oleckna, Esq. Marilyn Rosenbaum Cherelle Tolor, Esq. Jason Tramm, D.M.A Bob Werbel, Esq. Marcia Robbins Wilf, Ed.D. Robert Woog

Advisory Council Shirley Aidekman-Kaye Julia Altholz Concetta Donvito, Ed.D. Judith & Steven Elbaum Eugene Fisher, Ph.D. Kenneth Gaines Monsignor John J. Gilchrist Allan Janoff Michael Kogan, Ph.D. Murray Laulicht, Esq. Pearl Randall Lehrhoff Jacqueline & Howard Levine Przemyslaw Murczkiewicz** Robin Neuman Sylvia Orenstein, Esq. Teri Rosen Emmanuel Ruranga Anthony Sciglitano, Ph.D. Joseph Volker, Ph.D. Jane Wallerstein Michael Zeiger * Chairmen emeriti Executive Director emeritus ** Graduate in Jewish-Christian Studies

Staff Monsignor Anthony Ziccardi, Interim Executive Director Clare Giangreco, Program Manager 11

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Issue Highlights: Bossman Tribute ..............................................1 Wilf Lecture ...................................................4-5 In Memoriam.....................................................5 Evening of Roses ..........................................6-7 Essay & Scholarship Reception ...............8-9 Scholarship Recipients ............................... 10 News & Notes ..................................................11

Save the Date!

SRTF NEWSLETTER

NINTH ANNUAL DR. MARCIA ROBBINS WILF LECTURE

Melinda Hanlon Chair

November 3, 2019

Msgr. Anthony Ziccardi Interim Executive Director

Guest Speaker

Rabbi David Fox Sandmel, Ph.D. Director of Interfaith Affairs Anti-Defamation League

2:00 PM • Seton Hall University • Bethany Hall Plan to join us!

More details to follow soon on our website www.shu.edu/go/sisterrose

Clare Giangreco Program Manager 400 South Orange Avenue South Orange, N.J. 07079 (973)761-9006 Fax: (973) 275-2333 e-mail: srtf@shu.edu www.shu.edu/go/sisterrose