A Diversity Message From Neil Meltzer - January 2020

January 1 is New Year's Day. Have you made a New Year's resolution?

Making resolutions-a plan to improve something in your life-is one of the most common traditions to kick off a new year. Mine include continuing to enhance engagement across the system and ensuring we remain a great place to work. Regardless of what your resolution is, I wish you the best for this year.

On January 1, we also remember the 128th anniversary of the official opening of Ellis Island. Considered the "Gateway to America" for millions of people from around the world, Ellis Island first opened in New York 1892. This immigration station was a beacon of hope for those who had been persecuted for their religious and political beliefs, those who feared oppression and violence, and those seeking economic opportunity and a new start. By the time the Immigration Act of 1924 curtailed mass immigration, more than 25 million people had entered the United States, with about 12 million entering through Ellis Island. These people brought with them their heritages and traditions, which in turn contributed to our country's rich culture and diversity.

For many Orthodox Christians around the world, January 7 and January 14 are recognized as Christmas and New Year's Day, respectively. These dates are based on the Julian calendar, created by Julius Cesar in 45 BC. (We use the Catholic-created Gregorian calendar, proposed by Latin Pope Gregory in Rome some 1,500 years later). On January 7 and 14, Orthodox Christians will celebrate these holidays with their own unique traditions that, most often, include church services, family gatherings and large feasts.

January 19 is World Religion Day. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'i faith established the day in 1950 to encourage interfaith understanding. On this day, many organizations will hold interfaith events where people of different faiths can listen and learn about other religions. World Religion Day was inspired by the Bahá'í religion, which follows three core principles: unity of God, religion and humankind.

The life, messages and teachings of one of the most well-known civil rights leaders is celebrated on January 20-Martin Luther King Day. The federal holiday commemorates the birth of Martin Luther King Jr. (King's birthday is January 15). Dr. King is best known for his role in advancing civil rights during the 1960s civil rights movement, through nonviolent civil disobedience. His actions and those of his supporters culminated in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and earned him the Nobel Peace Prize that year. In 1994, the day was officially transformed into a day of service when President Bill Clinton signed National Martin Luther King Day of Service into law. As such, everyone is encouraged to volunteer and make a positive difference in their communities.

The Chinese New Year begins on January 25 and 2020 is the Year of the Rat. Also known as the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, the Chinese New Year is China's most important traditional festival. It's also celebrated in East Asian and Southeast Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, and is popular in Chinatowns around the world. This year, Chinese New Year traditions will include enjoying family feasts, decorating homes (in red and in décor related to rats), watching or participating in parades, lighting or watching fireworks, gift giving (commonly red envelopes with money) and more.

On January 27, we commemorate the tragedy of the Holocaust with International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The General Assembly of the United Nations established the day to mark the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi-German concentration and extermination camp in Poland. Millions of men, women and children were killed during the Holocaust. International Holocaust Remembrance Day is an opportunity to honor the lives lost and educate our younger generation about the tragedy and prevent such acts from ever occurring again.

Thank you for the commitment you make every day to Care Bravely and live our LifeBridge Health values. Our Respect value is crucial to promoting both Diversity and Inclusion. There continues to be divisive dialogue throughout the country; and while we can't control what happens outside of LifeBridge Health, inside of LifeBridge Health we celebrate both what makes us diverse and unique, and what makes us the same-our shared purpose of caring for our communities together.