At ZS, we honor the visible and invisible identities, experiences and belief systems of one another. To sustain this culture of belonging, we have ZSer-led inclusion and diversity groups (IDGs) that foster community and strive to raise cultural awareness across the organizations.
Where passion changes lives
These goals speak to the passion of many ZSers like Jared Spiegel, a strategy insights and planning associate consultant.
“My passion has always been centered around having a strong community and a strong support network wherever I go,” Jared says. In high school, he was a leader in a Jewish youth group. In college, he held a leadership position in a student-led consulting club. Today, he is the co-founder and leader of Jewish@ZS.
“This IDG was something I first thought of while I was an intern. During onboarding, there was a day for all the IDGs to present, that was my first time thinking there should be a group for people like me, for Jews at ZS.”
After his internship concluded, Jared decided to return to ZS as a full-time consultant. While working with clients in the medtech space, he continued to see opportunities for Jewish@ZS.
“I was feeling that at a firmwide level, there wasn’t a lot of awareness of Jewish observances and holidays, especially those that require Jewish ZSers to take time off work. There also isn’t much education and awareness for other issues impacting Jews at ZS, such as the rise in antisemitism within our local communities and across the globe,” says Jared.
To create change, Jared and a team of ZSers across levels and offices connected and formed Jewish@ZS. They drafted a vision and goals for the group and pitched it to ZS leadership, which ultimately led to the group’s official launch in March 2022.
While the group is only in its first year, Jewish@ZS is already making strides in raising cultural awareness and creating a community for Jewish ZSers and allies. As a new group, they hold events at the local level to foster strong grassroots connections. Individual office leads plan in-person happy hours that allow ZSers to gather, learn and inspire cross-cultural relationship-building. For example, during Purim, a fun Jewish holiday in March that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman, offices hosted celebrations with food and educational opportunities for ZSers of all backgrounds.
“There are so many things happening at ZS, and sometimes that can get a bit overwhelming. Having a smaller group of people with similar experiences, backgrounds and values helps a large company like ZS feel a little smaller,” Jared says. “Jewish@ZS is a space for people to connect about issues that matter to them. Whether it’s celebrating holidays or talking about issues that affect their daily lives, I think it’s special to have a space like that at ZS.”
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