It Takes A Lot To Move Hearts

We close out Sefer Shemot this week with Parashat Pekudei, the second of two Parshiot that details the entire process of building the Mishkan. This is the tabernacle that the Israelites are instructed to make so that God may dwell among them and, in turn, lead them through the desert to the Promised Land. It takes a lot of human effort- the entire community, with the Torah specifying both women and men- to precisely build this dwelling. Moshe calls together all whose "hearts are so moved" to bring their talents and physical contributions to the Torah's most extraordinary communal project. These inspiring words are followed by many, many technical instructions: particular stones, materials, numbers of loops, etc. It takes a lot of planning and choreography to make space for everyone's contribution and to ensure the product is as beautiful as the intention. The holiness of the Almighty can only exist among the community once the humans pool all their earthly resources and talents to create the just-right home for God. 

This story sets the stage for Jewish communities for millennia to come, including our Beit Rabban community. No Jewish community can function without the investment of its members. It requires each person to contribute, just like in Parashat Ki Tisa, where every person must contribute half a shekel. But that is not enough; some people have to invest more. Every community needs people whose hearts are so moved by the labor-intensive, collaborative, detailed work it takes to build a holy dwelling place for God and humans alike. You might know the names of a couple of them, like Betzalel and Ohaliav, but there is no way to record the names of each of them: the weavers, the stone cutters, the budget managers, the curriculum designers, the fundraisers, the marketers, and so on. 

Once a year, we name a few of those incredible community members whose hearts have been moved to give above and beyond the basic requirements, and we celebrate them at our annual gala. This year, I am delighted to announce that we are honoring three remarkable community members who make Beit Rabban a holy home of belonging: Adit Sadan Samet, a member of the executive committee who has managed the finances of our school for many years with the mind of an accountant and the heart of a social worker; Cynthia Schwartz, a board member who serves as a walking billboard for our school with her unbridled enthusiasm and sharp communication skills; and Ilana Weinberg, a deeply respected educator who celebrates her 10th year at Beit Rabban, every day combining her deep expertise and brilliant classroom management skills with a boundless commitment to her "little buddies." You can read about our three honorees below. 

You may not know them, but you are the beneficiaries of their talents and generosity. I cannot imagine my job without them, and my family has been blessed to have each of them in our lives. Please join me in recognizing their contributions to our community by attending the gala or making a gift in their honor.

The Torah thinks it is worth using multiple Parshiot to describe the detailed building of the Mishkan and all the people involved in the process. That's a lot of Pesukim for something already complete without ever needing to be rebuilt. Still, the product is so critical to the lives of the Israelites that the Torah spends time appreciating all the work that has gone into it. I feel the same way about Beit Rabban, which is why I love celebrating our members whose hearts have been so moved to build and sustain our community.

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From left to right: Adit Sadan Samet, Cynthia Schwartz, and Ilana Weinberg

Adit Sadan Samet grew up in Kibbutz Ma’agan Michael and now lives in New York City’s Upper West Side. With her husband, Iddo, she is a proud parent of three. Adit and her family joined the Beit Rabban community in 2013. Adit's professional background lies in public policy and economics. She worked for the Israeli Ministry of Interior, crafting regulatory policies for municipally owned corporations. She conducted research on political economics for the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem-based think-tank, and consulted for an Israeli non-profit promoting financial literacy in the Israeli periphery. Adit holds a master’s degree in Public Policy from the Federmann School of Public Policy and Government and is a graduate of the Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics (PPE) program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Since 2015, Adit has been a board member at Beit Rabban and has been serving as its Treasurer since 2019.

Cynthia Schwartz has dedicated the past 34 years to working on the same trading team, currently serving as the Managing Director and Head of Desk for LME Metals at Marex, a publicly traded financial services firm based in London. She graduated from Cornell University in 1989. Cynthia is a proud alumni parent of Shane Schwartz, who graduated from Beit Rabban in 2024. She resides on the Upper West Side with her two sons, her beloved husband, Yaron, and their Yorkie poodle, Ziggy. Cynthia attributes her love of Judaism, Israel, and Jewish education to her mother, Dale Ginsburg z"l, who infused her childhood with Jewish tradition, including gathering her two children to stand beside her to watch her light Shabbat candles, whisper her prayers and bring the light into their home. 

Ilana Weinberg has spent the past decade at Beit Rabban as a dedicated and dynamic teacher, guiding students from first through third grade and proving that strong teaching—like a good story—can evolve and travel. Before joining Beit Rabban, Ilana spent nine years teaching at another NYC day school, bringing a wealth of experience (and a well-worn read-aloud voice) with her. Whether she's supporting young writers, mentoring colleagues, or navigating the beautiful chaos of classroom life, Ilana brings warmth, clarity, and a good dose of humor to everything she does. Outside of school, she’s a passionate traveler (ask her about Bali or her two trips to China), a connoisseur of NYC’s Israeli food scene, a loyal Yankees fan, and the calm center of a household that includes her husband Craig—whose culinary skills she enjoys and whose Philadelphia Eagles fandom she gracefully endures—and their daughters, Mara and Ava.