The Sister Rose Thering Fund would like to thank our Trustees, Clergy award honoree,
Rev. Dr. Forrest Pritchett, Sister Rose Thering Fund Award in the Humanities and Holocaust
Education Honoree, Rabbi Dr. Michael Berenbaum and all who so generously supported
our Evening of Roses Gala and our celebration of Sister Rose’s Legacy and the mission
of the Fund in her name.
Please view the beautiful Ad Journal with a message from our Chair or view pictures from the event »
About the Evening of Roses
"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.
Interim President Mary J. Meehan at the 2019 Evening of Roses with (L to R) featured
speakers the Most Reverend Roberto Octavio González Nieves and Elisha Wiesel, along
with honorees David M. Bossman and Deborah Lerner Duane.
The Evening of Roses is the major fund raising 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.
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.
Students perform an original staging of "Brundibar" at the 2011 Evening of Roses.
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 our friend Theodore Bikel has done.
Previous Programs and Honorees
2024
Honoring Daniel Mendelsohn, author of the international bestseller The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million, Cantor Perry S. Fine of Temple Beth Shalom (Livingston, New Jersey) and the Founding Supporters of the Sister Rose Thering Fund
View the 2024 ad journal »
View photos from the event »
2023
Honoring Rabbi Noam Marans, American Jewish Committee's Director of Interreligious and Intergroup Relations
and Rev. Msgr. C. Anthony Ziccardi, Coordinator For Undergraduate Admissions and Retention and Assistant Professor of
Biblical Studies.
View the 2023 ad journal »
View a recording of the 2023 event »
2022
Honoring Oren Jacoby, director of the Oscar-nominated documentary Sister Rose's Passion
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View photos from the event »
2021
Honoring the Curt C. and Else Silberman Foundation and philanthropist, Gene Hoffman, D.S.
- 2020-2011 »
2019
Deborah Lerner Duane, Chairman Emerita, and David Bossman, Ph.D., Retiring Executive Director
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2018
Honoring Darrell K. Terry, Sr., and Marilyn Rosenbaum
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2017
Honoring Father Lawrence Frizzell, Luna Kaufman, Pearl Randall Lehrhoff and Hattie Segal
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2016
Honoring the memory of Women of Valor Sister Rose Thering and beloved Trustees Ellin Cohen and Mary Vazquez; retiring SRTF administrator Marilyn L. Zirl was also honored; featured speaker: writer activist Devorah Halberstam
2015
Humanitarians of the Year: Carolyn Dorfman, child of survivors and director of the Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company; Tom Dugan, actor/author of the off-Broadway production of "Wiesenthal"
2014
Honoring 30 of the Fund's founders
2013
Honoring Dr. Paul Winkler, executive director of the NJ Commission for Holocaust Education, plus musical program
by Newark Boys Chorus.
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2012
Remembering Raoul, a dramatic presentation honoring the late Raoul Wallenberg on his 100th birthday.
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2011
New Jersey premier of the children's opera "Brundibar"
- 2010-2000 »
2010
Humanitarian of the Year: Joshua Bell; Featured Musician: Kevin Maynor, bass
2009
Humanitarians of the Year: Maud Dahme and Irena Sendler (posthumously); Featured Speaker: Senator Richard T. Codey
2008
Humanitarians of the Year: Pearl Randall Lehrhoff and Seymour Lehrhoff; Featured Speaker: Rabbi Matthew Gewirtz
2007
Sister Rose Thering Award for Exemplary Leadership: Monsignor Robert Sheeran; Featured Speaker: Hon. Brendan Byrne
2006
Humanitarians of the Year: Karan and Kenneth Oleckna and Toby and Lee Cooperman
2005
Premiere of Sister Rose's Passion; Humanitarians of the Year: Sylvia and David Steiner
2004
Honorary Doctorate: Dr. Eugene Fisher; Humanitarians of the year: Blu Greenberg and Dr. Aristides de Sousa Mendes do Amaral E Abranches (posthumously)
2003
Honorary Doctorates: Dr. Nechama Tec and Theodore Bikel; Humanitarians of the Year: David and Julia Altholz and Dr. David Bossman
2002
Honorary Doctorate: Sir Martin Gilbert; Humanitarians of the Year: Rev. John F. Morley and Dr. Marcia Robbins-Wilf
2001
Honorary Doctorate: Judith Banki; Humanitarians of the Year: Nicholas and Margaret Pogany and family and Anneke Burke-Kooistra
2000
Honorary Doctorate: Sister Rose Thering; Sister Rose Thering's 80th birthday and 60th anniversary as a religious Sister;
Humanitarians of the Year: Archbishop Peter L. Gerety and Luna KaufmanDescription.
- 1999-1990 »
1999
Honorary Doctorate: Cynthia Ozick, Humanitarians of the Year: Rabbi Israel Singer and Christophe Meili
1998
Honorary Doctorate: Prof. Elie Wiesel; Humanitarians of the Year: Eva Fleischer and Murray Laulicht, Esq.
1997
Humanitarians of the Year: Rev. Edward F. Flannery and Abraham Foxman
1996
Play by Herb Shapiro, "A Journey through Sister Rose's Life"
1995
Sister Rose Thering's 75th birthday and reception in honor of Rabbi Jehiel and Sylvia Orenstein
1994
Musical Tribute by Theodore Bikel with Barry Farber as M.C.
1992
Sister Rose Thering's 72nd birthday and honors to Drs. Charles and Gloria Steiner
1990
Sister Rose Thering's 70th birthday Enter Content.