Bruriah senior, Devora Berman of Spring Valley, New York, was judged a winner in the Sister Rose Thering Fund Essay Competition. She tied for first place. An excerpt of Devora’s essay follows.

“I wish every day that my innocent, happy sister would not have to learn about the Holocaust, about the camps. About her people, being murdered, being enslaved, and being tortured. But most of all, I don’t want my sister to feel the same thing that I did, that feeling that nobody cared, that nobody was willing to help. I want my sister to know that even though it feels like nobody ever comes to our defense, there were a few. There were a few individuals, who took a stand against the bigotry and prejudice that destroyed so many and one of those people was Sister Rose. Sister Rose’s story made me realize that there were people out there who cared. She couldn’t accept the murder of innocents, and she wouldn’t accept the answers she was given.”

Senior, Avigail Goldberger of Teaneck was recognized as a second place essayist. An excerpt of her essay follows.

“Last year, I was appointed curator of my school’s annual Holocaust museum, tasked with giving breath to the mantra, ‘never forget.’ Through posters, artwork, and three dimensional projects, the museum conveyed the unspeakable horrors of the war and the world which struggled to rise up from the ashes of tragedy. I led tours through the various displays, emphasizing the significance of every piece. The mayors of two local townships came to visit, as well as numerous community leaders and a handful of Holocaust survivors. My role as curator allowed me to undertake the torch of remembrance, thereby adding my voice to the cacophony which rallies for tolerance.”

The winners and their families have been invited to a recognition reception at the Walsh Library on the Seton Hall campus at which they will read their essays. All of the essays entered into the competition will be printed in a souvenir booklet.

“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.

Fostering understanding through education and inter-religious cooperation since 1993, the Sister Rose Thering Fund for Education in Jewish-Christian Studies began as a supporting wing of the Department of Religion at Seton Hall University. Sister Rose Thering served as administrator, recruiting educators and raising funds to defray tuition costs, until her retirement in 2005. She died in 2006.