Lifelong Jewish education was a dream of Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin (Z”L) when he founded this community, and you too can be a part of realizing that dream. After a beautiful groundbreaking ceremony for Aaron Milken Center, we are excited to continue building the future with you. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this transformational project, and leave your mark on Wise!

Climbers: Every journey begins with a step, and now you can fund one of those steps. Ascending from our entry plaza to our learning gardens and green spaces, Aaron Milken Center’s grand staircase will double as theater seating, accommodating 120 people. You can leave your mark on Wise with a 4″x4″ climber ($3,600) or a 4″x6″ climber ($5,400) that will adorn these steps.

We invite you to be a part of Wise’s history by supporting this project at any level that is meaningful for you. Clicking the button below to donate.

Mezuzot: Embrace the spirit of l’dor v’dor: Create a lasting legacy for your children or grandchildren by gifting a limited-edition mezuzah to the Aaron Milken Center. This very special mezuzah will be based on a soon-to-be commissioned sculpture that will be prominently featured at the Aaron Milken Center.

Your mezuzah will grace a doorway in our beautiful new building, and your name (or name of your choosing) will be featured on a donor recognition plaque, rendered below. Donors also receive an identical mezuzah for use in their own home!

Dedication opportunities are still available. For more information, please contact our Development team at [email protected] or 310.889.2277.

Click HERE to see remaining dedication opportunities.

Watch Us Grow

This time lapse video will let you check on our progress. By the time we’re ready to open in the winter of 2025, you’ll be able to watch more than a year of work in just minutes, from demolition to the final finishing touches. Last updated: Thursday, December 5, 2024.

Renderings: A Vision of the Future

Groundbreaking

Wise officially broke ground on Aaron Milken Center in a community-wide ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 13. Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback, Head of School Tami Weiser, Chairman and Cofounder of the Lowell Milken Family Foundation Lowell Milken, donors, community leaders, and distinguished guests gathered together to mark the historic occasion. Wise School children lent their singing to the event, and temple president Steve Bram shared stories from his youth at Wise. Attendees were also treated to a presentation by the architects and building committee chair Leandro Tyberg.

Demolition

On Nov. 30, guided by project superintendent Gene Postert, Rabbi Yoshi and Head of School Tami Weiser got an up-close look at the work site. After a tutorial from the Del Amo Construction crew, Rabbi Yoshi climbed into the cab of an excavator to knock down several walls.

Cheering him on from an observation platform atop the parking structure was a class of current AMC students. Along with strategically-cut holes in the fence wrap surrounding the site, the platform allows students and visitors alike to get an up-close view of the project. Following with AMC’s philosophy of emergent curriculum, the site is effectively a living classroom, where children can learn about the construction process and where their teachers can explore topics of interest as they arise.

Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback and project visionary Lowell Milken break ground on Aaron Milken Center on Nov. 13, 2022. (Photo by Ryan Gorcey)

When it opens in the fall of 2024, the state-of-the-art Aaron Milken Center will be a nurturing space for Wise’s youngest learners and their families to gather, learn, and discover, embodying Rabbi Zeldin’s dream of providing lifelong Jewish education to all those who seek it. Aaron Milken Center will also serve as a living tribute to the late son of lead donors Lowell Milken and Sandra Salka Milken.

Designed by Abramson Architects, the 20,000-square-foot educational village on Wise’s mountaintop campus will feature a unique mix of indoor and outdoor spaces to facilitate learning and play, along with specialist areas including an art studio, learning kitchen, music room, and tinkering space.

Outside, students will be encouraged to explore green spaces. They will learn from the world around them through a hillside trail; sensory garden; vegetable garden; areas for water, sand, and mud play; and climbing structures. Inside, classrooms will be filled with light from floor to ceiling and an array of materials for exploration and discovery. Windows and skylights in common spaces will allow children to experience the outdoors from a different perspective.

“The classrooms and their respective play areas are arranged by age group, allowing students to ascend throughout the Wise campus as they grow through their early childhood education,” said Abramson partner Marco Marraccini, AIA. “The open layout provides a visual and physical connection to the new outdoor learning spaces and the expansive hillside views. Aaron Milken Center was designed to reflect this vibrant community and enhance its emergent curriculum.”