Gwinnett Daily Post

LAWRENCEVILLE -- Three Gwinnett teens were recently honored by the Greater Atlanta Hadassah.

Michelle Fisher of Norcross, Christie Roth of Lawrenceville and Michael Williams of Duluth are among 24 metro Atlanta teens honored earlier this month at Greater Atlanta Hadassah's 19th annual Marian F. Perling Hadassah Chesed Student Awards Program.

Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, is a volunteer women's organization whose members work to strengthen a partnership with Israel, ensure Jewish continuity and realize their potential as a dynamic force in American society.

The Chesed Awards -- Chesed is a Hebrew word meaning an act of kindness -- have been given annually since 1992 to teens who exemplify values and ideals important to the Hadassah organization and its members.

Students in grades seven through 12 at Atlanta area Jewish day schools and synagogue religious schools are eligible to receive the award. Selection criteria include a love for Israel, concern for Jews and Jewish culture and heritage, concern for fellow human beings as exemplified through manner and deed and good academic standing.

Fisher, who just completed seventh grade at Pinckneyville Middle School, is the daughter of Diane and Jeff Fisher. She was nominated for the Chesed Award by Congregation Beth Shalom.

Roth, a rising sophomore at Brookwood High School, was nominated by Temple Beth David. She is the daughter of Mike and Staci Roth.

Williams, a recent graduate of Northview High School who will attend the United States Military Academy at West Point in the fall, was nominated by Congregation Dor Tamid. He is the son of Michele and Andy Williams.