August 26, 2021

Epstein’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Committee recently hosted a virtual gathering called the "Cosmopolitan Club," based upon the group Abraham Epstein was a member of while he studied at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The purpose of the UIUC Cosmopolitan Club was to “cultivate social and intellectual relationships between persons of different nationalities through a variety of activities and services.”

Today’s DE&I event featured a free-flowing conversation between Epstein’s Chicago and New York staff about cultural experiences and traditions and also utilized a pre-programmed Google Earth map to show the paths our employees have made in their lives - from their birthplace, to childhood home to current home.

In addition to learning how staff members made their way to Epstein, attendees also heard about the difficulties in managing multiple languages within a household, how to continue effectively share heritage from generation to generation, as well as the challenges in preparing long-loved cultural meals.

In this hour-long conversation, Epstein’s staff was better able to understand and appreciate their coworkers' lived experiences, and also gain further insight into different cultures.

This event served as yet another way to celebrate Epstein’s 100th anniversary by honoring the spirit that made our founder feel welcome and seen during his years at UIUC.