Colleagues,

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is both a time of rejoicing and of serious introspection – a time to celebrate the completion of another year while also taking stock of one’s life. The two days of Rosh Hashanah usher in the Ten Days of Repentance, which culminate in the major fast day of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

Among the popular traditions associated with the holiday is a ceremony performed on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah called Tashlich, when people throw crumbs or pieces of bread, symbolizing their sins, into flowing water.

The Challah (traditional bread) that is eaten for the Rosh Hashanah season is round, symbolizing the eternal cycle of life. Challah is traditionally dipped in honey, symbolizing the hopes for a sweet New Year. The same is done with apples, which are made even sweeter with the addition of honey.

Four days after Yom Kippur, the holidays of Sukkot will begin. This festival is also known as the Feast of the Tabernacles, as it remembers the years that the people of Israel spent sheltered in tents while crossing the desert from Egypt to the Promised Land. That is why many Jews celebrate these seven days by eating and sleeping in a tent (sukkah), that they set in their garden or balcony.

Learn more at https://theconversation.com/what-are-the-jewish-high-holy-days-a-look-at-rosh-hashanah-yom-kippur-and-a-month-of-celebrating-renewal-and-moral-responsibility-166079

Best Regards,

The SJSU IT Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

Colleagues,

Observed on June 19th, Juneteenth commemorates the date that federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people were freed. Though it was only made a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth has been celebrated for over 150 years and is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

Today, Juneteenth is a celebration of African American freedom, emphasizing Black education and achievement. For many it’s a day-long or week-long event, and for some it’s a full month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics, and family gatherings.

Juneteenth is a time of reflection and rejoicing for everyone, as well as for assessment, self-improvement and planning the future. It’s a moment to revel in the progress we’ve made together and look ahead to the work that still needs to be done.

Learn more at https://www.juneteenth.com/

Best Regards,

The SJSU IT Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

Colleagues,

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, a tipping point in the battle for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States.

For many LGBTQ+, “Pride,” as reflected in the Stonewall Uprising, represents more than just an acknowledgement of self-identity, but a defiance against social norms that are seen as restrictive and limiting. Pride festivals are celebrations of living openly and authentically, banishing shame, secrecy, and other boundaries that have been imposed on LGBTQ+ people, and are often celebrated with parades, parties, and civic engagement.

Read about what Pride means to others at https://www.loc.gov/lgbt-pride-month/about/

Best Regards,
The SJSU IT Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

Colleagues,

Memorial Day in the United States is a day of remembrance for those who have perished in military service to our country. It began in the aftermath of the Civil War, when communities began to pay springtime tributes to their fallen countrymen by decorating their graves with spring flowers. The original date of the holiday was chosen because it does not fall on the anniversary of any major battle.

Unofficially, this day of remembrance also marks the beginning of summer.

Learn more at https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history.

Best Regards,

The SJSU IT Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

Colleagues,

The Jewish holiday Shavuot, recognized seven weeks after Passover, is a pilgrimage festival that celebrates the early summer grain harvest and the bestowal of the books of the Torah, the code of law, from G-d to Moses atop Mt. Sinai.

Today it is celebrated with rituals at the synagogue and the study of scripture, the decoration of homes with greenery, and the sharing of festival meals especially including milk and cheese products.

Learn more at https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/shavuot-101/.

Best Regards,

The SJSU IT Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee