Legal Leaders for Diversity and Inclusion – September, 2017

“If you don’t know what you’re living for, you haven’t yet lived.”

– Rabbi Noah Weinberg

Fall greetings and special greeting to our Jewish colleagues celebrating the High Holidays later this month.

Sending out a survey during the summer was clearly not a good idea.  Only 12 responses were received which clearly indicates that you were both busy and then on vacation!  So we are including the survey in this newsletter so that the many of you who did not respond, can do so now by sending your completed survey to Katherine Body (kbody@deloitte.ca) by September 22 (but please do it now…it takes 5 minutes).

The second ask is this:  we need an annual operating budget.  As the LLD has grown, we have learned that having a small pool of money will allow us to be more effective.  Thus, we are asking that annually each LLD signatory pay a membership fee of $500.

The Executive will determine where the money will be allocated, depending on the needs we have determined for the year.

Each of the Executive members are developing their plans for the pillars identified below.  They will be reaching out to those who have an interest, based on the survey responses:  LFDIN (Ken), Gender (Sarah), LGBTQ (Paul), Racialized Lawyers (TBD), Outreach to Affinity Groups (Fernando), People with Disabilities (Tracy), Indigenous (Jeffery/Terra/Ken), PwD Scholarship Program (Daniel), and Mentoring (Annelle).

Diversity observances

• September 11 – Day of Remembrance (USA). The effects of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001 impacted Americans and most other nations and has brought focus on the devastation terrorism has caused in the world.
• September 18 – Keiro No Hi (Japan). Respect of the Aged Day, or Keiro no Hi, was established as a national holiday in 1966 to express respect for the elders in the community, and to recognize and thank them for their contributions to society and celebrate their long lives.
• September 21 – Rosh Hashanah (Jewish). Begins previous sundown at 6 pm and observed for two days. Literally ‘Head of the Year’ marks the first and second day of the Jewish New Year and the anniversary of the creation of the world. It ends 10 days later with Yom Kippur. It is celebrated with prayers and religious services.
• September 24 – Heritage Day (South Africa). Celebrates cultural diversity and serves as a time for South Africans of various heritages to strengthen bonds.
• September 30 – Yom Kippur (Jewish). The Day of Atonement is the holiest and most solemn of all days in the Jewish year. They believe that once you atone for your mistakes, you can be ‘at one’ with God. Jews do not work and fast from sunset to sunset.
• September 30 – San Geronimo Day. Named after St. Jerome (1829-1909), an Apache fighter, this day is celebrated by the Native Americans in Taos Pueblo, New Mexico. Among the ceremonies are the morning races, the sacred clowns and the pole climb.

Other dates of note

Legal Leaders for Diversity Survey

Questions for members