23RD EVENING OF ROSES MAY 1 EVENT AT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Writer activist Devorah Halberstam will share her poignant story of the terrorist attack that took her 16-year-old son, Ari, at the 23rd annual Evening of Roses fundraiser of the Sister Rose Thering Fund for Education in Jewish-Christian Studies at Seton Hall University on Sunday, May 1, 2016. Her life’s transformation, motivated by the memory of her son, led her to support victims the world over and co-found the Jewish Children’s Museum.

“This year’s Evening of Roses pays tribute to very special women who have made stellar contributions to education in Jewish-Christian Studies, the mission of the Sister Rose Thering Fund to rid the world of religious prejudice and build a more just and inclusive society,” said Professor David Bossman, SRTF executive director.

The event honors the memory of Women of Valor Sister Rose Thering, and beloved Trustees Ellin Cohen of Maplewood and Mary Vazquez of West Caldwell, who both passed away in 2015. There will be a special recognition of retiring SRTF administrator Marilyn L. Zirl of Livingston, who worked closely with Sister Rose since her arrival at the university in 2000. A musical performance of Psalm 133 by Israeli composer Moshe Knoll, will feature soprano Allison Charney, violinist Ani Bukujian, pianist Craig Ketter and narrator Jordan Charney.

“We honor the memory of Sister Rose on the tenth anniversary of her passing and these special women as we continue to fulfil the legacy of her valor. We are proud of how the community comes together to provide complete tuition support for our teacher/scholars and are gratified that each year hundreds of public, private and religious school students learn how to approach interreligious understanding because of these devoted women and men,” said Deborah Lerner Duane, Board Chairman.

Duane explained that the event will also celebrate the generosity of Luna Kaufman, founding trustee and chairperson emerita, announcing the inauguration of the Luna Kaufman Endowed Scholarship.

The program begins at 1:30 p.m. in Jubilee Hall Auditorium on the Seton Hall University South Orange campus, 400 South Orange Ave, South Orange.

The Sister Rose Thering Fund for Education in Jewish-Christian Studies was created and named in honor of Sister Rose Thering, O.P., Ph.D., in recognition and appreciation of her exemplary dedication throughout her life and that continuing legacy to improving Jewish-Christian relations through teacher education, especially at the elementary and secondary school levels. The goals of the Fund’s programs are to reduce prejudice born of ignorance and misperception, to promote means for conveying the richness of the Jewish and Christian traditions accurately and without bias and to foster cooperation among Jews and Christians in areas of common social welfare. More than 350 teachers throughout New Jersey have benefited from Fund scholarships for their studies at Seton Hall University’s Jewish-Christian Studies graduate program during the past two decades, and have had an impact on more than 150,000 students in their classes.

For tickets and information, contact the Sister Rose Thering Fund office, (973) 761-9006 or marilyn.zirl@shu.edu. Tickets can be purchased at the event.

ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been developing students in mind, heart and spirit since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous majors, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.Seton Hall, which embraces students of all religions, prepares its graduates to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has achieved extraordinary success. Since 2009, the University has seen record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth in addition to an impressive 95-point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. In the past decade, Seton Hall students and alumni have been awarded nearly 20 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors including a Rhodes Scholar. In the past five years, the University has invested more than $134 million in new campus buildings and renovations. And in 2015, Seton Hall announced plans for a new School of Medicine as well as launched a new College of Communication and the Arts.A founding member of the new Big East Conference, the Seton Hall Pirates field 14 NCAA Division I varsity sports teams. The University’s beautiful main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles from New York City – offering its students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. The University’s nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark. For more information, visit www.shu.edu.