Dear Gunston Community,

Saturday night I was invited to attend the first annual Humanitarian Award Dinner at the B'Nai Israel congregation in Easton. The dinner honored two long-time community members, Fred and Lesley Israel, who have both been prominent, engaged, and generous members of the Eastern Shore community for decades.

Fred and Lesley are members of a small and thriving Jewish community on the Eastern Shore, yet the Humanitarian Award dinner was a joyful and celebratory interfaith evening. I sat at a table next to Father James Nash, from Sts. Peter and Paul. The appreciation remarks were made by Fr. Bill George, SJ, the former Head of Georgetown Prep where Fred Israel served for many years on their Academic Committee. Also present were political leaders from both parties, Christian leaders from varying denominations, and rabbis from both the Orthodox and Reform traditions of Judaism.