Shared heritage
Your cover story of Oct. 22 entitled “Seton Hall’s role in an interfaith ‘sea change,’” was an excellent and well deserved tribute to the continuing work and presence of the Jewish-Christian studies program at Seton Hall University. Sister Rose worked tirelessly to promote interfaith dialogue between Christians and Jews. Through her guidance and support, she encouraged me to enroll in the program of study and work toward completion of the master’s degree program which I completed in 2000.
She was both a mentor and a friend.
Through the knowledge gained in the program and the collaboration with a child of survivors, I was fortunate enough to be able to offer an elective course on the Holocaust and prejudice reduction for students in my Morris County middle school. The need to educate our youth is vital besides being a New Jersey state mandate.
I was fortunate to have studied with Prof. David Bossman, Rabbi Asher Finkel, and the indefatigable Father Lawrence Frizzell. Their expertise, charisma, energy, and passion promoted serious and deep
completion and dialogue. The Jewish-Christian studies program has helped to advance the dialogue and helped us to a greater understanding and appreciation of the similarities of our shared heritage.
May we continue to build bridges, pass the torch forward, educate, and find resolve to fight prejudice and bias borne of ignorance.
Ira Melon
Jackson
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