May marks Jewish Heritage Month, a time dedicated to celebrating the rich history, culture, and contributions of Jewish individuals across the globe. In the workplace, this observance provides a unique opportunity for employees to share their personal stories and cultural heritage, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation among our colleagues.
Join us for a chat with Hagai Schwartz, a Technical Support Representative here at Vagaro, as he shares how his Jewish heritage has shaped his identity and helped him overcome life's challenges.
Hagai Schwartz: Technical Support Representative
Hey, Hagai! Thanks for talking with us today. To kick things off, why don’t you explain how important your Jewish heritage was to you growing up & how has its significance evolved today?
My Jewish heritage growing up was very important. It instilled good family values, along with other important values in me that make up the person I am today. It’s changed over time, too. As I get older, particular values have become more important to me, especially as I try to pass them down to my child as they would pass it on to theirs. You don’t really think too much about that kind of stuff as a kid. You’re too busy being a kid and driving your parents crazy!
Are there any aspects of Jewish culture or tradition that are particularly meaningful to you today?
There are many aspects of my Jewish culture and traditions that are meaningful to me today and will continue to be for the rest of my life. Family is extremely important to me. One aspect of the Jewish culture is caring for your family and being there for one another, through thick and thin. It can be hard to keep traditions alive these days as life gets busier, but for the high holidays, we always come together, no matter what. This is extremely important to me. Another aspect is being a good person in general. This could look like having empathy for your fellow man and woman, and just being a good human being overall.
Did you ever experience any challenges related to being Jewish while growing up? How about in the workplace? How did you deal with/overcome them?
I’ve experienced some challenges being Jewish while growing up. Nothing too crazy. My family and I moved to the states in ’84, when I was only about 8 years old. It was a bit of a culture shock, and I didn’t know English, so that was challenging at first. It didn’t take long for me to overcome this, though! In the workplace, I haven’t faced any challenges directly due to my heritage, at least not that I’m aware of. Regardless, I embrace the general challenges that the workplace, or life, might present!
How do you share your Jewish heritage with your colleagues?
I share my Jewish heritage with my colleagues by sharing stories of my family during Jewish holidays, such as Hanukkah and Passover.
Are there any Jewish values that are particularly important to you in your career?
There are many Jewish values that are important to me in my career. Compassion is one of them. No matter what field I’m in, compassion is extremely important. I don’t think it’s specifically a Jewish value per se, more of a value for us as human beings in general, but, again very important to me in my career. If you honestly care and have compassion for another human being, I believe that’ll help you grow in your career. Compassion is a very powerful tool! Another Jewish value that’s important to me in my career would be my work ethic. This was instilled in me in a very young age. The Jewish religion stresses hard work, so you can provide for your family and enjoy the fruits of your labor. I use this value every day and try to do the best I can in whatever situation it may be.
Hagai, it was a pleasure getting to know more about who you are, and the fundamental role your heritage plays in your everyday life. Thanks again for chatting with us! For those reading, we encourage you to join us in recognizing and celebrating Jewish individuals both in and outside the workplace as we kick off the month of May this year, in hopes to foster a more inclusive and diverse society.
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