Hanukkah Memories
Sunday, December 18 marks the first night of Hanukkah for our Jewish colleagues. “The Festival of Lights” commemorates the Jewish struggle for religious freedom. Hanukkah lasts for eight days, until sundown on Monday, December 26. Cindy Levi, lead social worker, Case Management and social Work Dept., Houston Methodist West, reflects on how her family celebrates the holiday.
“Hanukkah is special to me in so many ways; from remembering the miracle of the light burning for eight days, as well as focusing on the history of Jewish people.
“My children and I enjoy the holiday by lighting the menorah, baking cookies, making latkes, playing dreidel, getting a piece of chocolate gelt each night and each child receiving one gift on the first night and one gift on the last night.
“We have a special tradition in my home of playing a game that I played as a child with my grandparents. It is a game with acorns in which a player tries to knock the other player’s acorn out of a circle made with tape on the ground. The winner gets the remainder of chocolate gelt. It always brings happy memories and is wonderful to see my children interacting without any interference from the phone, etc.!”
DEI Summer Scholarship Enters its Second Year
Applications are being accepted through January 27, 2023 in the Houston Methodist DEI Summer Scholarship Program. Now in its second year, the need-based scholarship is open to rising junior and senior students interested in pursuing a future in health care. The program matches students from underrepresented groups in a non-clinical setting with summer opportunities to work side by side with HM employees in various departments. Each participating scholar will be awarded a $6,000 scholarship. The 10-week immersive work experience begins May 30 and ends on August 4, 2023 and includes skills building and professional development opportunities.
Six students participated in 2022, the program’s inaugural year. For 2023, the scholarship is being expanded to include up to 16 students, with scholars to be placed at each Houston Methodist hospital. In addition to students from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), this year’s program expands to offer opportunities to students attending Hispanic serving and Native American serving non-tribal institutions. Read the press release on the program in the Houston Methodist Newsroom. Click here for more information and to access the application form.
Did You Know?
The United Nations General Assembly in 2005 proclaimed December 20 as International Human Solidarity Day to promote a culture of solidarity and sharing in an effort to combat poverty around the world.
Through initiatives such as the establishment of the World Solidarity Fund to eradicate poverty, the UN identified solidarity in its Millennium Declaration as one of the fundamental values of international relations in which those who “either suffer or benefit least deserve help from those who benefit most.”
The declaration celebrates unity in diversity, reminds governments to respect their commitments to international agreements, raises public awareness to the importance of solidarity and encourages new initiatives for eliminating poverty.
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