September 2014 Dear Friends and Colleagues: The Sister Rose Thering Fund for Education in Jewish-Christian Studies is pleased to announce that for the sixth time, we are conducting our annual essay contest in conjunction with the film you received from the New Jersey Commission for Holocaust Education, Sister Rose’s Passion. The Fund, named in honor and memory of Sister Rose who devoted her life to reducing prejudice and promoting dialogue among all people, is offering this contest for students in grades 9-12. To those teachers who have already taken advantage of the gift of the DVD sent to your school, we are most appreciative that you found the time to show the film either to your classes or your colleagues and have submitted your most helpful evaluations to Dr. Paul Winkler, Executive Director of the New Jersey Holocaust Commission. Students who have entered the contest during the past five years have shown an exceptional understanding of who Sister Rose was and what she has done to promote better understanding among all people. The topics for the essay have been changed this year allowing students to select one out of four possibilities. (See information on the enclosed application form.) Four first place prizes will be awarded, one for each level of high school, plus four honorable mention awards. The guidelines and application for the contest are included with this letter. We hope you will be able to announce the contest to your students when you show the film in your classes. The deadline for submission of essays is February 2, 2015. Presentation of awards will take place at a special reception on Sunday, April 12, 2015 at Seton Hall University. The winners and their teachers, family and friends will be invited. We look forward to working with you and hope you will encourage your students to enter the contest. Please feel free to copy the application and distribute it to your students. All questions can be directed to either Dr. Winkler at 609-292-9274 or our office at 973-761-9006. Very sincerely yours, David Bossman Deborah Lerner Duane David Bossman, Ph.D. Deborah Lerner Duane Executive Director and Chairman of the Board Professor of Jewish-Christian Studies NOTES: Please let us know if your school does not have a copy of the film, and we will make sure you receive a DVD. We would like you to screen the essays before sending us no more than the ten (10) most qualified, in your opinion. Please be sure each student completes the enclosed release form so we can publish winning essays.

SISTER ROSE THERING FUND STUDENT ESSAY CONTEST CRITERIA – PLEASE PRINT FOR EACH STUDENT

Topic: You may select one of the following topics:

a. How has Sister Rose’s Passion influenced you to take action and what action have you taken? b. What injustices, prejudices or examples of lack of respect are you aware of and how do you plan to change

these attitudes? c. Have you taken steps to reduce prejudice in any way, and what action did you take? d. What is Sister Rose’s primary message and how has it inspired you to reduce bigotry?

1. Guidelines: After viewing the film, write an essay on the topic of your choice in five-hundred words (about 2 pages, typewritten, double-spaced, one side only on 8 ½” X 11” paper with 1-inch margins.) BE SURE YOUR NAME APPEARS, TYPEWRITTEN, ON THE ESSAY ITSELF. No handwritten essays will be accepted.

2. Criteria: Essays will be judged on originality, eloquence of style and structure (how well you

planned and wrote your thoughts), grammar, spelling and punctuation, and relevance to the topic. Please be sure to mention Sister Rose in your essay. Papers will be judged according to grade level of the student.

3. All essays will be kept on file in the office of the Sister Rose Thering Fund at Seton Hall University and

will not be returned to students.

4. Deadline for submitting essays: no later than February 2, 2015.

5. How to enter: Complete the application below and submit it with your essay to:

Essay Contest Committee Sister Rose Thering Fund

Seton Hall University 400 South Orange Avenue South Orange, NJ 07079

Student’s Name _______________________________________________ First Middle initial Last

Student’s home address____________________________________________________ City _____________________________ State __________________Zip code__________ Student’s phone number (________) ______________________________ Name of School ___________________________________________ School address __________________________________________________________ City ______________________________State ___________________Zip code _________ School phone number (_________)_____________________________________________

Name of teacher _____________________________________________________ Student’s year in school (circle one) 9th 10th 11th 12th

RELEASE FORM FOR SISTER ROSE THERING FUND STUDENT ESSAY CONTEST

We give our permission for the essay entitled ________________________________________________________________________submited to the Sister Rose Thering Fund Student Essay Contest sponsored by the Sister Rose Thering Fund at Seton Hall University, South Orange New Jersey, to be used in any future publications of the Fund. Student name (printed.) Student signature Parent name (printed) Parent signature Date _____________________________________________ Thank you.