The Jewish Festival of Shavuot is celebrated at Canary Wharf today, thanks to efforts by Canary Wharf Group plc and international law firm Clifford Chance LLP.

Young and old come together at the annual celebration at Clifford Chance’s offices, which includes a special lunch made up of dairy foods such as cheese cakes and songs performed by the Menorah Primary School Boys’ Choir.

Guests will include members of Stepney Jewish Community Day Centre, Dennis Centre, Brenner Centre, Nightingale House and Schonfeld Square Care Homes. Also attending are representatives from the East London Synagogues Association and workers from around Canary Wharf.

Canary Wharf Group plc (CWG) is providing buses to transport elderly and the school choir and has sent special gift packages to all the Centres.

Danny Seliger from Canary Wharf Group plc, co-organiser of the event, said: “This is a fun community event which involves the old and the young, and those in between who work at Canary Wharf.

”We are always keen to involve our local communities in life at Canary Wharf. It’s important to reach out and invite people in; we hope all attending have an enjoyable day.”

Mark Persoff, a partner at Clifford Chance, gave the welcome speech to the guests. Mark said: “It is a privilege for Clifford Chance to host this annual event which is become a famous fixture in the community calendar, and gives the Firm the opportunity to provide a wonderful day out for our honoured guests."

Shavuot (also known as Shavuos), the Jewish festival of weeks, marks the giving of the Ten Commandments by God to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. Customs include decorating homes and synagogues with fruit and flowers and eating dairy food such as cheesecake. This year, the festival begins on the evening of Tuesday 18th May and ends the evening of Thursday 20th May.

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About Canary Wharf Group plc

Canary Wharf Group plc (CWG) is an integrated property development, investment and management group of companies. It is focused on the design, construction, leasing and management of grade A office space and high-quality retail and leisure facilities on its 97 acre Estate in East London, which includes 20 acres of landscaped parks and plazas.

Over the past 20 years CWG has regenerated derelict wharves into one of the world’s premier business districts, constructing over 15 million sq ft of office and retail space in London; more than any other company. Canary Wharf is home to some of the world’s leading business organisations from the media, legal, accounting, financial services, IT, energy and transport sectors. It is also home to over 200 shops, bars, cafes and restaurants including many of Britain’s leading brands. The Canary Wharf Estate’s working population is approximately 93,000 people, up from 27,000 in 2000.

As of 31 December 2009 the Canary Wharf Group investment portfolio of 8 million sq ft was 96.2% let. The weighted average unexpired lease length was 15.8 years. Canary Wharf is set for further expansion. In 2009, CWG commenced work on the Canary Wharf Crossrail Station and has continued work on a new European Headquarters for J.P. Morgan. The opening of new office buildings by KPMG, State Street and Fitch Ratings on the Estate in 2009 and 2010 will also bring thousands of new workers to Canary Wharf on a daily basis.

CWG was named one of the Sunday Times Best 60 Green Companies in the UK in 2009.

www.canarywharf.com

About Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance is one of the world's leading law firms, helping clients achieve their goals by combining the highest global standards with local expertise. The Firm has unrivalled scale and depth of legal resources across the four key markets of the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, and focuses on the core areas of commercial activity: capital markets; corporate and M&A; finance and banking; real estate; tax; pensions and employment; litigation and dispute resolution. Clifford Chance has 29 offices in 20 countries with some 3,600 legal advisers. The Firm also operates a 'best friends' arrangement with AZB & Partners in India and with Lakatos, Köves & Partners in Hungary, and a co-operation agreement with Al-Jadaan & Partners Law Firm in Saudi Arabia.

Clifford Chance is committed to being a responsible member of the global community in which it operates. The Firm has established a Corporate Responsibility strategy that reflects its values: People, Community and Environment. Clifford Chance recognises that community investment is not only about financial giving but should also reflect the commitment of its time and expertise. In 2008/09 lawyers and business services staff carried out over 90,000 hours of pro bono and community work, worth more than £26 million. The Firm also gave over £2 million in donations and sponsorship. The Clifford Chance Foundation is the focal point for the Firm's charity fundraising, pro bono work and volunteering which focuses on Firm-wide but locally driven schemes that widen access to justice, finance or education. The Firm is also a signatory of the UN Global Compact.