‘EVENING OF ROSES’ HONORS PIONEER OF INTERFAITH BRIDGE-BUILDING

• By Mabel Pais

“I know the power of teachers. It is my deepest wish that teachers in our public and parochial schools, with scholarship assistance, will be able to enroll in Jewish-Christian Studies at Seton Hall University to stem the tide of ignorance in our schools and in society.” — Sister Rose Thering, O.P., Ph.D.

In honor of Sr. Rose Thering, Catholic nun-pioneer of promoting understanding and tolerance of Jewish-Christian faiths, Seton Hall University celebrates the 30th anniversary of the fundraising event in memory of her. The Annual Gala ‘Evening of Roses’ takes place on June 18, 2024 at 6 pm at the Seton Hall University’s Bethany Hall, 400 South Orange Avenue, South Orange, New Jersey 07079.

HONOREES

This year, Seton Hall University honors

Daniel Mendelsohn, author of the international bestseller ‘The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million,’ with the Sister Rose Thering Fund Award in the Humanities and Holocaust Literature;

Cantor Perry Fine of Temple Beth Shalom in Livingston, NJ for his work in interfaith outreach with the inaugural Sister Rose Thering Fund Clergy Award, and

Twenty Sister Rose Thering Fund Founding Supporters, women and men who worked closely and personally with Sister Rose to establish Seton Hall’s Fund. Get the complete list  at events.shu.edu/event/33510-evening-of-roses-gala-30th-anniversary.

‘The Evening of Roses’ is the major fundraising vehicle for the Sister Rose Thering Fund for Jewish-Christian Studies. Its aim is to promote the Fund’s work by honoring outstanding scholars in the field of Jewish-Christian relations and conferring honorary Doctor of Humane Letters as well as Humanitarian of the Year awards upon individuals who have demonstrated outstanding compassion, altruism, and courage in various endeavors. In past years, honorary degrees have been bestowed upon Professor Elie Wiesel, Cynthia Ozick, Sister Rose Thering, Judith H. Banki and Sir Martin Gilbert, Nechama Tec, Theodore Bikel and Dr. Eugene Fisher. 

Each ’Evening of Roses’ event has attracted between 300-500 attendees whose participation and financial support have been rewarded by an outstanding program followed by a reception. Honored guests offer to sign copies of their most recent publications or serenade all with a song, such as Seton Hall’s friend Theodore Bikel has done.

Sister Rose Thering

“Children, our young people, are our future. A major challenge of our times is to face resolutely the responsibility to future generations.” 

Sister Rose Thering (1920-2006), a nun of the Dominican Order, was a lifelong activist who fought anti-Semitism within the Catholic Church.

Sister Rose Thering, in her doctoral research (1957-1961), did the pioneer investigation/examination of the most widely used Catholic religion teaching materials to see how we taught about other faith, ethnic, and racial groups.  It was a self-study that dealt primarily with our teachings about Jews and Judaism.

A basic summary was taken to Vatican II (the Second Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church) during the deliberations before the issuance of the Vatican document Nostra Aetate: Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions in 1965.  The document caused considerable debate at Vatican II but was finally passed on the last day of deliberations.  The 15 Latin lines of text have had a deep and lasting effect on how Jews are viewed by the Catholic Church and remain strongly fixed in church teachings to this day.

Sister Rose was very active in building bridges between Jews and Christians.  When asked why she did this, her immediate response was: “Because an understanding and an appreciation of Jews and Judaism and the State of Israel helps me personally.  I hope and pray to become a better person, a better Christian.”

‘Sister Rose’s Passion,’ a 39-minute documentary film on her life, won an award at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2004 and was nominated for an Academy Award in 2005.

Sr. Rose spent more than 40 years at Seton Hall University – teaching, speaking, developing programs, shepherding groups of religious and lay people to the Holy Land where she traveled more than 54 times.

Sister Rose Thering passed away at her convent, The Siena Center of the Racine Dominicans in Wisconsin, on May 6, 2006.

The Sister Rose Endowment for Holocaust and Jewish-Christian Studies honors her for her belief in the power of teachers to impart knowledge and understanding to young people.

Learn more at shu.edu/sister-rose and shu.edu/sister-rose/evening-of-roses

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NJPAC COMMEMORATES JUNETEENTH

• By Mabel Pais

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC – njpac.org) hosts an in-person Standing in Solidarity event on Monday, June 17, 2024, at 6PM in honor of the Juneteenth holiday. This program marks the conclusion of the ‘Standing in Solidarity’ season, a series of Social Justice conversations often paired with a ‘PSEG True Diversity Film Series’ screening.

Juneteenth, or Juneteenth National Independence Day, is a federal holiday in the United States. It is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the official ending of slavery in the United States.

“NJPAC is committed to bringing our community together to talk about the issues that are genuinely important to all of us,” says NJPAC President and CEO John Schreiber. “Both as virtual gatherings and, now, as really meaningful in-person events, the Arts Center’s ‘Standing in Solidarity’ conversations have been a unique opportunity for so many of us to learn, listen deeply and find common ground.”

The documentary ‘Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities’ (Firelight Films, 2018) is the ‘PSEG True Diversity Film’ and will be screened in NJPAC’s Chase Room at 6PM. Following the screening, a panel of prominent leaders — all graduates of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) — will discuss the cultural, economic and social impact of HBCUs.

PANELISTS

The panel will be moderated by Calvin Ledford Jr., president of the PSEG Foundation and director of PSEG Corporate Social Responsibility.

“In the heart of our nation’s story lies the profound legacy of historically Black colleges and universities. HBCUs exemplify hope, progress and opportunity,” says Ledford.  “As a proud alum of Hampton University, I am honored to moderate a panel discussion alongside fellow HBCU graduates. I look forward to exploring the impactful legacy of these institutions on American history, culture and identity. Together, let us celebrate Juneteenth and embrace the pivotal role HBCUs play in shaping generations and our nation.”

Members of the panel include Brielle Lewis, director of Sponsorship Strategy & Activation at Prudential Financial, Dr. Karma Brown Warren, medical leader and phlebologist at Metro Vein Centers, Inc., and Mayor of the City of Newark, The Honorable Ras J. Baraka.

“It is in relationships with both people and ideas that we define ourselves, and from there hone our dreams, and shape our world. That is why the educational, social and cultural dynamics of higher education institutions, and in particular, HBCUs, are so critical to America’s sound and solid foundation in peace and prosperity,” says Mayor Baraka. “Just as Juneteenth broke the last chain in the bond of slavery, HBCUs release the free expression of African American students as they claim their identities and forge their path forward.”

Following the panel conversation, the Juneteenth festivities will move to the Hahne Building (54 Halsey St.) for an afterparty, starting at 8:45PM, hosted by Heritage Hall. Heritage Hall is the site of the pop-up photography exhibit “HBCU Experience” produced by students from MENTOR Newark. The interactive exhibit is designed to share the culture of the schools and show off HBCU pride.

RSVP

To RSVP and for more information visit njpac.org/event/celebrating-historically-black-colleges-and-universities-pseg-true-diversity-film-series.

 (Mabel Pais writes on Social Issues, The Arts and Entertainment, Spirituality, Cuisine, Health & Wellness, Business, and Education)