July 14

International Non-Binary People’s Day, aimed at raising awareness and organizing around the issues faced by non-binary people around the world while celebrating their contributions.

“Non-binary gender identity is any gender identity that does not fall within the strict categories of contemporary Western societies, which typically consider gender to be binary, e.g., either man or woman. It is important to acknowledge that non-binary gender identities are not new identities or new concepts and have been recognized throughout the world for as long as gender has been a conscious identity of humans...

Pronoun use is an important issue for non-binary people. Some non-binary people choose to use pronouns other than she/her/ hers and he/him/his. Some examples of gender-neutral pronouns are they/them/theirs (as singular pronouns) and ze/hir/hirs.”

If you are interested in learning more about non-binary identities and how to be an ally, visit https://www.apadivisions.org/division-44/resources/advocacy/non-binary-facts.pdf.

July 17-18

Tisha B'Av, a fast in commemoration of the destruction of two holy and sacred temples of Judaism destroyed by the Babylonians (in 586 B.C.E) and Romans (in 70 C.E.). At the Tisha B’Av, after select passages from the Torah are read and understood, and netilat yadayim, or the washing of the hands, is performed.

July 18

Nelson Mandela International Day, launched on July 18, 2009, in recognition of Nelson Mandela’s birthday via unanimous decision of the U.N. General Assembly. It was inspired by a call Nelson Mandela made a year earlier for the next generation to take on the burden of leadership in addressing the world’s social injustices: “It is in your hands now.” It is more than a celebration of Mandela’s life and legacy; it is a global movement to honor his life’s work and to change the world for the better.

July 19-20 (sundown to sundown)

Eid al-Adha, an Islamic festival to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim (also known as Abraham) to follow Allah's (God's) command to sacrifice his son, Ishmael. Muslims around the world observe this event.

July 26

Disability Independence Day, celebrating the anniversary of the 1990 signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Did you know….?

• Musician, singer, and songwriter Stevie Wonder was born blind. Considered a child prodigy, Stevie signed with his first record label at age 11, and he’s been performing since.
• Injured in a trolley accident when she was a teenager and forced into bed rest for several months to heal a broken back, Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is one of the most well-known artists with disabilities of the 20th century. She is known for her self-portraits, many of which portrayed her in her wheelchair.
• Until the age of 3, Albert Einstein could not speak and was severely dyslexic and autistic. As he grew older, he started to focus on the only thing he was exceptional at: math. His theory of relativity is said to be the most revolutionary theory of physics and he won a Nobel Prize for his photoelectric effect theory in 1921.
• By his late 20’s, famous composer Beethoven’s hearing began to deteriorate, and by the last decade of his life he was almost completely deaf. Many of his most admired works come from these last 15 years of his life, including the Ninth Symphony which was completed after he lost all of his hearing. (https://www.jfcsboston.org/Blog/celebrating-national-disability-independence-day)

If you want to learn more about people with disabilities locally, these South Dakota organizations celebrate and support individuals with disabilities:

• https://sosd.org/home.html

• https://www.sdparent.org/about

• https://www.lifescapesd.org/

July 30

International Day of Friendship, proclaimed in 2011 by the U.N. General Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities. Learn more at https://www.un.org/en/observances/friendship-day.

To celebrate International Friendship Day at CHS, take a photo with a friend at work and send it to news@chssd.org by 2 pm on July 30. We’ll post it on social media (so please get your friend’s permission and avoid showing any children).