Etzah Code of Conduct

Five commitments bind every participant equally.

• Respect. Approach one another with an open mind and genuine regard for differences in background or experience. Etzah brings together members across generations, fields, and career stages; that range is the program’s strength, and it is met with sensitivity, not judgment.
• Punctuality. Arrive on time for meetings, and provide advance notice if a meeting must be rescheduled. Communicate at the times you have agreed upon, and be mindful of the other person’s schedule. Reliability is the simplest form of respect for another person’s time.
• Engagement. Come prepared, participate thoughtfully, attend the planned events, and give the relationship the time and attention it deserves. Take an active role in building the relationship rather than waiting for the other person to carry it.
• Confidentiality. What is shared between mentor and mentee should remain between them, unless both agree otherwise or there is a genuine concern for someone’s safety. Confidentiality runs in both directions: each participant protects the other’s story, name, and network.
• Professionalism. Maintain appropriate boundaries at all times, in keeping with the trust this relationship is built on. This is a professional relationship, entered without the expectation of friendship; where a genuine friendship grows from it, that is a gift, not an entitlement.

• Treat your mentee with respect and sensitivity, and foster a professional relationship from the first exchange to the last.
• Stay accessible, committed, and engaged for the length of the program; be available and responsive, and give your mentee uninterrupted time when you meet.
• Listen first. Act as a sounding board for your mentee’s goals and plans, and offer feedback that is honest, constructive, and never judgmental.
• Encourage genuinely. Share your own experiences, successes and setbacks alike, and what each taught you.
• Support your mentee in achieving the goals they set, and be patient with the pace of their progress. Challenge their thinking; do not direct their choices.
• Respect your mentee’s confidentiality, and respect their time and capacity as you would have them respect yours.
• You are not expected to find your mentee a job, make introductions you are not comfortable making, or continue beyond what you agreed to. Your time and honesty are already a generous gift.

• Treat your mentor with respect and be mindful of their schedule. Mentors give their time freely; use it well.
• Take the lead. Scheduling and continuity are chiefly your responsibility: arrange the meetings, come prepared with a clear idea of what you want to address, and follow up on what you said you would do.
• Do not ask or expect your mentor to provide you with a job, an introduction on demand, or privileges they have not offered. A mentor offers advice, feedback, perspective, and encouragement; the growth is yours to drive.
• Be open and honest about your goals, expectations, challenges, and concerns, including when your circumstances change.
• Be receptive. One of the most valuable things a mentor can offer is a perspective you had not considered. Reflect on it fully, even where you ultimately choose another route.
• Respect your mentor’s confidentiality, and treat their name and their network with care.
• Keep realistic expectations. Your mentor is busy and may not always be available; they will guide and support you, but they will not solve your problems for you.

• Guidance, not placement. Etzah offers mentorship, perspective, and connection. It does not promise employment, and no participant may treat it as a recruiting channel, in either direction.
• No hidden agendas. Etzah is not a place to sell, to solicit clients or donations, or to recruit for unrelated ventures. Come to give and to grow, nothing else.
• Within scope. Etzah conversations concern professional and working life. The program does not provide religious guidance, counselling, therapy, or life coaching; a participant who needs those supports will be pointed, kindly, toward the right place.
• Considerate contact. When you reach out, give the other person space to reply before writing again. No one should feel crowded, and no one is obliged to be reachable at all hours.
• Appropriate settings. Meet where both people feel comfortable: a café, a workplace, a video call, or a room at the temple. When meeting in person for the first time, a public setting is good practice.
• Zero tolerance. Harassment, pressure, discrimination, or any conduct that demeans another person is never acceptable and will end a match, and where warranted, participation in the program.

Either person may pause or end a mentorship at any time, respectfully, and without having to explain in detail. This is a no-fault ending, and it is always okay. Not every pairing clicks; that is normal, and it is not a failure by either person. If a relationship is not the right fit, quietly let the Etzah team know. It will be handled with kindness and discretion, and where it helps, the team will try to find a better match. No one is ever stuck, and no one is judged for ending a match.

At the close of a cohort, both participants will be invited to offer feedback on the match and on the program at large. Those who have built a good professional relationship are warmly encouraged to stay in contact beyond the formal three months; continued contact is the participants’ own, and is not monitored by the program. Mentees who have benefited from Etzah are encouraged, in time, to give back by becoming mentors themselves.

Questions or concerns of any kind may be directed to the Etzah team at etzah@templesholom.ca. Concerns are read only by the team, handled with discretion, and never held against the person who raises them. Conduct that breaches this code may lead to a match being ended or to a participant leaving the program; serious matters will be brought to Temple Sholom’s clergy and leadership.

By applying to Etzah and taking part in a cohort, mentors and mentees agree to uphold this code. It is practical guidance and a set of shared commitments, not legal terms; the binding legal language lives in Temple Sholom’s own policies and in the Etzah participation agreement.