2023 CELEBRATION OF EDUCATION
The 2023 Essay Competition Winners
Theme: Searching for Answers & Seeking Social Justice
2023 DR. MARCIA ROBBINS-WILF LECTURE
Guest Speaker: Susanna Heschel
The Faith of Others: Tracing the Complexities of Interreligious Dialogue
October 22, 2023
EVENING OF ROSES GALA
Honorees: Rev.Msgr.C.Anthony Ziccardi, S.T.D., S.S.L.
Rabbi Noam Marans
Theme: Seeking Social Justice Through Interreligious Dialogue
May 30, 2023
PUBLIC EVENTS: THE SISTER ROSE THERING FUND AND
THE GRADUATE PROGRAM OF JEWISH-CHRISTIAN STUDIES
SETON HALL UNIVERSITY, SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY
Coffee with Alex Kor
March 9, 2023
The Sister Rose Thering Fund was asked to participate in a webinar hosted by Greenleaf Center on March 9th. Executive Director, Anthony C. Sciglitano, Jr. kicked off the event by sharing the mission and scholarships offered through the fund. It was a great opportunity for both programs. Dr. Alex Kor’s mother was an extraordinary woman. A perfect way to celebrate Women’s Month.
LEGACY DAY 2022
Guest Speaker: Rabbi Dr. Ron Kronish
December 6, 2022
Sister Rose Thering: A Centennial Commemoration
October 14, 2020
Celebrate with the Sister Rose Thering Fund for Education in Jewish-Christian Studies (SRTF) as we present a virtual event commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of the late Sister Rose Thering (1920 – 2006). Presentations honoring Sister Rose’s legacy will be made by:
- Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R.
- Joseph E. Nyre, Ph.D., Seton Hall University President
- Rabbi Irving (Yitz) Greenberg, long-time friend and colleague of Sister Rose
- Imam Wahy-ud Deen Shareef, Convener of the Council of Imams in New Jersey
- Reverend Forrest Pritchett, Ph.D., Director of Seton Hall University’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Program
- Monsignor C. Anthony Ziccardi, SRTF Interim Executive Director
- David M. Bossman, Ph.D., SRTF Executive Director Emeritus
- Luna Kaufman, Chairwoman Emerita, SRTF
- Marilyn Rosenbaum, Founding Trustee, SRTF
Sister Rose’s work as a teacher, scholar, writer and activist promoted Jewish-Christian dialogue, the study of religious understanding and a lifetime of leadership and influence at the forefront of changing attitudes about Church teachings. Join us as we honor her legacy in what would have been the year of her 100th birthday.
The Ninth Annual Dr. Marcia Robbins Wilf Lecture
November 3, 2019
Bethany Hall, Seton Hall University
Rabbi David Fox Sandmel, Ph.D.
Can Interreligious Dialogue Save the Planet?
https://youtu.be/UAV9hfeqhcc
The 26th Anniversary EVENING OF ROSES
June 4, 2019
Bethany Hall, Seton Hall University
Keeping the Story Alive for Generations
Honorees
Deborah Lerner Duane
Chair Emerita of the Sister Rose Thering Fund
The Sister Rose Thering Fund Servant Leadership Award
David M. Bossman, Ph.D.
Professor of Jewish-Christian Studies, Department of Religion, and Co-Founding Executive Director of the Sister Rose Thering Fund
The Sister Rose Thering Fund Lifetime Achievement Award
Speakers
Elisha Wiesel
Co-Chief Information Officer, Goldman Sachs
Son of Elie and Marion Wiesel
The Most Reverend Roberto Octavio Gonzales Nieves
Archbishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico
Tribute video on David Bossman
Select photos
Ad Journal
Commemoration of the Liberation monument
June 8, 2019
Liberty State Park, New Jersey
Masonic Charity Foundation of New Jersey commemorates Nathan Rapoport, sculptor of Liberation, a bronze Holocaust memorial, located in Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey. The monument, officially dedicated on May 30, 1985, portrays an American soldier carrying the body of a Holocaust survivor out of a Nazi concentration camp. The Liberty Park Monument Committee, formed by New Jersey Governor Thomas H. Kean, under the leadership of Luna Kaufman (Board Member and Emerita Chairwoman of the Sister Rose Thering Fund), was tasked with raising funds for a monument “to honor American servicemen as liberators of oppressed peoples.” The official State resolution issued on the day of the monument’s dedication noted that “our service members fought, not to conquer or to be aggressors, but rather to rescue and restore freedom to those persecuted and oppressed by the fascist powers.”
Round Table Discussion for Jewish-Christian Studies
May 7, 2019
Jubilee Hall, Seton Hall University
Reconciliation in Inter-religious Relations
Graduate students in the courses JCST 7576, Personal Rights and Responsibilities for a Just Society, and JCST 7573 Strategies for Healing in Inter-religious Relations, gather with invited guests — alumni, faculty, members of the Sister Rose Thering Fund board — to discuss the semester capstone topic, Reconciliation in Inter-religious Relations.
Round Table Discussion for Jewish-Christian Studies
December 11, 2018
Jubilee Hall, Seton Hall University
Opening the Canon: Teaching Pluralistic Values Across the Curriculum
Graduate students from two classes — Lessons from the Holocaust and Values for a Pluralistic Society — discuss the topic, Opening the Canon: Teaching Pluralistic Values Across the Curriculum. Both courses play a role in post-Holocaust education, using the rise of fascism and the scapegoating of target groups as points of reference. Displacing authoritarian nationalism with social inclusion has become a signal characteristic of pluralistic societies. Expanding the curriculum to cultural diversity and teaching values of pluralism are key elements in the educational curriculum to form a society that builds upon the strength of human diversity.
Eighth Annual Dr. Marcia Robbins Wilf Lecture
November 4, 2018
Bethany Hall, Seton Hall University
The Next Generation: Will the Story Survive?
The interactive lecture, led by Michael Rubell, features a panel of third-generation Holocaust survivors — thoughtful young men and women whose grandparents experienced first-hand the trauma of the Holocaust either as victims or liberators. They share their thoughts on how their family history impacts them and explore their and our responsibility to remember and act in the turbulent times of the present and into the future. The three generations interact with the audience in an open discussion. Panelists include Manya Gaver, Jonathan Hanlon, Alexa Joachim, Amanda Lanceter, and Lisa Margolis.
Michael Rubell is the son of a Holocaust survivor. When his father died in 1995, Michael created Morris Rubell Holocaust Remembrance Journeys to further the work of his father in teaching tolerance and acceptance. He teaches programs in the areas of leadership, teamwork, communication, management skills, and presentation skills. He also facilitates meetings, helping project and management teams constructively find solutions to organizational and business challenges.
Photos
25th Anniversary EVENING OF ROSES
June 5, 2018
Bethany Hall, Seton Hall University
Honorees
Darrell K. Terry, Sr., MHA, MPH, FACHE
President & Chief Executive Officer Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
The Rev. Ronald B. Christian Award for Community Leadership
in Cooperation with Christian Love Baptist Church, Irvington, New Jersey
Marilyn Rosenbaum
Founding Trustee of the Sister Rose Thering Fund
The Sister Rose Thering Fund Lifetime Achievement Award
Photos
Ad Journal
Rev Ron Retrospective
Twenty-Five Years of the Evening of Roses Retrospective
Sister Rose Thering Yahrzeit Ceremony April 29, 2018
Sister Rose Thering Fund Essay Contest and Educator Awards April 29, 2018
Spring Round Table Discussion
May 9, 2018
Jubilee Hall, Seton Hall University
Forging a Path Beyond White Privilege
Graduate students from the courses Cross-Cultural Analysis for Jewish-Christian Studies, and Jewish and Christian Foundations for Social Service are joined by several alumni of the program, faculty from other departments, and invited guests from the inter-religious community. While inequalities exist in all societies, much of present-day social awareness concerns privilege v. want, dominance v. oppression, access v. exclusion in matters such as gender, color, religion, and economic status. How are these conditions to be addressed using categories of culture and embedded power structures? How do persons in the Jewish and Christian traditions utilize core values from within their religious traditions to address real human needs today?
Fall Colloquium
December 5, 2017
Fahy Hall
Then and Now: Oppression and Social Justice
In this fall semester round table discussion, Sarah Salvatore and Daniel Excellent, graduate students of Professor David Bossman, facilitate a discussion with students in his courses JCST 6014 Lessons from the Holocaust and JCST 7576 Personal Rights and Responsibilities for a Just Society. They are joined by former students, other Seton Hall faculty, and invited guests from the community. The discussion focuses on the topic, Then and Now: Oppression and Social Justice, in in order to spell out the prejudicial factors leading to the oppression that resulted in the Holocaust, and how to recognize signs of similar prejudice and oppression today. Graduate students in these courses have spent a semester reading and discussing these issues. They here spell out the insights they have come to and here set out to establish a new vision, and to set out on a new path toward building a just society freed from religious, racial, and social prejudice.
Spring Colloquium
May 2, 2017
Fahy Hall, Seton Hall University
Getting Beyond the Impasse
This round table discussion is facilitated by Karen Pomerantz and Derrick Edmundson, graduate students of Professor David Bossman in JCST 6016 Values for a Pluralistic Society and JCST 7588 Collaboration Models for Integral Ecology, together with invited guests.
Fall Colloquium
December 6, 2016
Can We All Get Along?
This round table discussion focuses on the challenges we face and the means at our disposal to dispel hate and discord: Engaging neighbors, sharing values, building a better world together. The panel is composed of graduate students of Professor David Bossman in JCST 6014 Lessons from the Holocaust and JCST 6017 Jewish and Christian Foundations for Social Service, together with invited guests. The discussion is led by Raven Cottrell.
Fall Colloquium
December 8, 2015
Leadership for Change: Pope Francis as a Change Agent for a Better World
Graduate students in JCST 6017 Jewish and Christian Foundations for Social Service and JCST 6014 Lessons from the Holocaust participate with inter-religious community leaders in a round table discussion on modeling leadership for social betterment. Professor David Bossman; Theresa Scharff, Facilitator.
Spring Colloquium
April 28,2015
Trauma and Resilience
Graduate students in JCST 6014 Lessons from the Holocaust and JCST 6020 Jewish History I (Bible to Talmud) discuss with invited experts how Jews model resilience in the wake of catastrophic events in their history. Educators can apply techniques learned to foster resilience among young people who today suffer from violence and other forms of trauma in their lives and within their communities. Professor David Bossman leads the discussion.
Fall Colloquium
December 9, 2014
Educating Tomorrow’s Leaders for a More Just Society
Utilizing resources from two courses, JCST 6016 Values for a Pluralistic Society, and JCST 6017 Jewish and Christian Foundations for Social Service, this end-of-semester discussion engages community leaders with graduate students from these Fall semester 2014 classes. It is a discussion that engages ways in which today’s growing racial and religious tensions can be addressed by educating today’s youth in models for social change. Professor David Bossman and graduate student Liz Cassiano lead the discussion.
Spring Colloquium
May 13, 2014
Educating the Whole Student for the Twenty-First Century
A conversation among graduate students in the classes of Professor David Bossman, JCST 6014 Lessons from the Holocaust and JCST 7576 Personal Rights and Responsibilities for a Just Society, together with community guests.
Twenty-First Evening of Roses
May 4, 2014
Honoring the Founders of the Sister Rose Thering Fund
Dr. Richard Ognibene
April 1, 2014
Books are Weapons in the War of Ideas:
The impact of Diane Ravitch’s book, Reign of Error (Knoph, 2013).
Third Annual Dr. Marcia Robbins Wilf Lecture
March 23, 2014
Sister Mary Boys and Blu Greenberg
Women of Faith: A Dialog Between Two Traditions
Professor Mary C. Boys, Skinner and McAlpin Professor of Practical Theology at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, is author of Redeeming Our Sacred Story: The Death of Jesus and Relations Between Jews and Christians (Paulist Press, 2013).
Blu Greenberg is co-founder of the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance and author of On Women and Judaism: A View from tradition and Black Bread Poems After the Holocaust (Jewish Publication Society, 2013).
Holiday Colloquium
December 11, 2013
What religious communities can do to help inner city schools address issues of prejudice, bullying, racism, violence, gangs.
Open discussion of graduate students in JCST 6014 Lessons from the Holocaust and JCST 7576 Personal Rights and Responsibilities for a Just Society (Fall 2013) with religious and educational community leaders.
Dr. Richard Ognibene
October 23, 2012
The Works and Thought of Jonathan Kozol
Former Dean of the Seton Hall University College of Education and Human Services, Dr. Ognibene is author of A Persistent Reformer: Jonathan Kozol’s Work to Promote Equality in America (Peter Lang Publishers, 2012).
The First Dr. Marcia Robbins Wilf Lecture
December 11, 2011
Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
The Legacy of Sister Rose
The inaugural lecture in the Dr. Marcia Robbins-Wilf Lecture Series.
Jubilee Hall Auditorium
The 18th Annual Oesterreicher Lecture
Octeober 31, 2011
The Current State of Jewish-Catholic Relations
Cardinal Kurt Koch is the newly appointed as President of the Vatican Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity.
Holiday Colloquium 2010. Co-sponsored with the Seton Hall University Whitehead School of Diplomacy: A Jewish-Muslim dialogue.