Houston, Texas, February 16, 2022 – The Coalition for Mutual Respect of ADL (Anti-Defamation League) is pleased to announce the establishment of its 25th Anniversary Scholarship Program.
The Coalition has awarded $175,000 in scholarships to 35 deserving students at Texas Southern University, University of Houston, Prairie View A&M University, Rice University and the University of St. Thomas. Scholarship recipients have demonstrated academic performance, financial need and a passion for social justice, diversity and inclusion.
Twenty-five of the scholarships were funded with a generous grant from the Jerold B. Katz Foundation. Additional scholarships have been provided by Joan and Stanford Alexander in loving memory of Rabbi Samuel E. Karff and in honor of Reverend William A. Lawson and Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza; by Cyvia Wolff in loving memory of Rabbi Karff; by Mustafa Tameez in loving memory of Rabbi Karff; by Deborah and Mark Finkelstein in loving memory of Helen Rosenberg Finkelstein; and by Regina Rogers in loving memory of Rabbi Karff and in honor of Reverend Lawson, Archbishop Fiorenza and Rabbi David Lyon.
While serving as chair of the board of the ADL Southwest Region in 1995, Rogers helped form the Coalition with co-founders Rabbi Karff, Reverend Lawson and Archbishop Fiorenza: the “Three Amigos.” (Rabbi Lyon, successor as senior rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel when Rabbi Karff retired, was honored to become a third “amigo” after the death of Rabbi Karff.) Other members at inception were the late Jack Blanton, Macey Reasoner, Michael Chou, Michael Solar, Rosie Zamora, the late Richard “Dick” Johnson, Mark Kaufman and Ghulam Bombaywala. The Coalition, which consists of 37 spiritual and civic community leaders, including Dr. Stephen Klineberg and Sister Jane Meyer who helped in the planning of the scholarship program, has succeeded in bringing about a unity of reverence, tolerance and love; speaking out with one voice against prejudice, bias and hate; and standing united and ready to embrace each other’s needs.
“We are grateful for the generosity of the Jerold B. Katz Foundation and the individual donors,” Rogers commented. “The scholarships are supporting the next generation of community leaders who are committed to their academics and career pursuits, while also advancing social justice causes that will create more inclusive communities.”
In addition to the financial gift, scholarship recipients will have the opportunity to complete service volunteer hours and participate in virtual discussions with Coalition members on topics related to community advocacy and “tikkun olam” – repairing the world.
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