This Shabbat, we conclude our reading of the Book of Exodus. Our parasha tells of the Israelites’ completion of a major building project: the construction of the Mishkan, the portable sanctuary carried by the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness. For our ancestors, their vision of this special place of worship and gathering became a reality through the collective effort and extraordinary generosity of the entire community. (In fact, in last week’s parasha we read that the people were so generous that Moses had to ask them to stop bringing gifts!)
When the sacred work of building the Mishkan is finally done, the Torah tells us:
וַיַּ֨רְא מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־כׇּל־הַמְּלָאכָ֗ה וְהִנֵּה֙ עָשׂ֣וּ אֹתָ֔הּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה ה׳ כֵּ֣ן עָשׂ֑וּ וַיְבָ֥רֶךְ אֹתָ֖ם מֹשֶֽׁה׃
And when Moses saw that they had performed all the tasks, Moses blessed them. (Exodus 39:43)
The Israelites did the work and then they experienced the blessing.
This week, we also marked a powerful milestone in the life of our own community: the completion and grand opening of our new Aaron Milken Center campus for Early Childhood Education. Like the Mishkan, the campus began as a dream—a vision of what could be. And like the Mishkan, it took the dedication and extraordinary generosity of many to make its existence a reality.
What a blessing for our community and for Am Yisrael. Our beautiful new campus and, more importantly, the learning, programming, community building, and living that will take place within it, will touch the lives of students and families for generations to come. Even more expansively, philanthropists, educators, and clergy from far and wide have already become inspired by our commitment to, and investment in, Jewish early childhood education. Our work will surely reverberate throughout the Jewish world.
We give thanks for this moment—not just for the opening of our astonishingly beautiful new center, but also for what it represents: growth, renewal, and our enduring commitment to making meaning and changing the world through study, worship, and righteous action. Aaron Milken Center is more than a building. It is a beacon of Jewish learning, creativity, and community; a place where we nurture young minds and foster lifelong connections.
Tomorrow morning, join us for a special blessing. We will celebrate our Spirit of Shabbat for the first time ever in its new home: the Beit Midrash of Aaron Milken Center. At 8:30 a.m. we will gather for coffee and bagels before enjoying a short service, Torah reading, and study of Parshat Pekudei wherein we will explore more deeply the meaningful lessons of these final chapters of the Book of Exodus. I hope to see you there.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Yoshi