More than 100 people attended the Palm Beach Fellowship of Christians & Jews end-of-season soiree May 1 at the Colony Hotel in celebration of its 25th anniversary season.
The event began with a reception in the Palm Court, followed by a short annual meeting and the presentation of awards for the Essay & Creative Arts Competition, which was open to middle school and high school students countywide. Western Pines Middle School students, led by teacher Steve Gordon, placed in several categories.
Chair John C. Randolph welcomed everyone to the event and thanked them for their support.
“We on the board are proud not only of what we have accomplished in our 25th year, but also for what we have accomplished in the 25 years of our existence,” Randolph said. “We have come a long way in that time, and I believe we have seen significant progress in fostering respect and understanding between people of the Christian and Jewish faiths, and between people of all faiths, races, cultures and persuasions.”
Vice Chair Maggie Zeidman gave a recap of the season’s events and also talked about the full scholarships that the fellowship has been providing annually for more than 20 years to Palm Beach County educators to attend the “Facing History and Ourselves” summer seminar, “The Holocaust and Human Behavior,” in Brookline, Mass.
Fellowship Education Chair Rosalie Franks presented the awards to the winning students. They were asked to take inspiration from the Robert Frost poem The Road Not Taken, to write essays or create art about making choices and decisions and how they can affect your life. The winners are:
3-D Art — First place: Matti Cohen, Rosarian Academy, Grade 7.
Video — First place: Robby Vargas, Rosarian Academy, Grade 8; second place: Tess Romine, Western Pines Middle School, Grade 8.
2-D Art — First place: Mia Starkman, Pine Crest School, Grade 7; second place: Victoria Bassey, Western Pines Middle School, Grade 8; third place (tie): Ava Teo, Pine Crest School, Grade 6 and Elyza Lotero, Western Pines Middle School, Grade 8.
Color Photography — Jonathan Schram, Palm Beach Day Academy, Grade 7.
Black and White Photography — Meagan Hage, Western Pines Middle School, Grade 8.
Essay — First place: Sydney Jansen, St. Mark’s Episcopal School, Grade 8; second place: Aayushi Ranjan, Don Estridge High Tech Middle School, Grade 6; third place (tie): Jack Regnery, St. Mark’s Episcopal School, Grade 8 and Nika Wolfs, St. Mark’s Episcopal School, Grade 8; honorable mention: M.J. Hanlon, Rosarian Academy, Grade 7 and Lily Guari, Rosarian Academy, Grade 7.
Franks presented gift cards for school supplies to the teachers of the winning students. They are: Laralee Evans, Don Estridge High Tech Middle School; Chrissie Ferguson, Rosarian Academy; Steve Gordon, Western Pines Middle School; Barbara Milanese, Pine Crest School, Megan Molitoris, St. Mark’s Episcopal School; and Leslie Quinlivan, St. Mark’s Episcopal School.
For more information about the fellowship, call (561) 833-6150 or visit www.palmbeachfellowship.net.
