Building the Mishkan—Lessons in Non-Profit Management
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Building the Mishkan—Lessons in Non-Profil Management
Parhsat Vayak'heil-P'kudei, 5781
Saturday, March 13, 2021
פרשת ויקהל-פקודי, תשפ״א
Parshat Vayak'heil-P'kudei, 5781
by Rabbi Sydni
Saturday, March 13th, 2021
Building the Mishkan - Lessons in Non-Profit Management
Imagine an Agudath Achim in which we had enough volunteers and funds to never worry about our limits. How would our synagogue space, services, and programming look? I dare you to dream big!
As the mishkan (the Tabernacle) is being built in our parashah, the people Israel donate more than enough resources and volunteer hours. They donate so much, in fact, that Moses has to ask the people to pause from giving. In meticulously planning the measurements, materials, and volunteer needs of the mishkan, God has created a project with clear vision. The people Israel know exactly how they can contribute and where their contributions will go. With clarity of purpose, along with some other non-profit business techniques, God models for us successful organizational management.
In the construction of the mishkan, some weave and some build, some donate and some oversee. The medieval commentator Seforno writes that the work is completed in its entirety because of that personal investment. As each and every Israelite has contributed hours or funds to the cause, each and every Israelite wants to see this project succeed. And of course, the project depends on the diversity of ways in which the Israelites can contribute; the construction of the mishkan involves muscle, logic, artistry, resources, and faith, allowing for each Israelite to shine in her own unique manner. God knows that the success of any project depends on the attachment of the people involved; in order to reach our goals, we must ask for volunteer and financial assistance from people with a broad range of abilities and interests.
Perhaps a more pointed example of the distribution of people-power in an organization or in a project comes from Rashi’s words. Rashi, a medieval commentator from Germany and France, asks the question of why the princes, the n’si’im, wait so long in our parashah to contribute. He answers that these leaders of the community know they should not always have to do the bulk of the work or give the bulk of the donations. They wait so that they can give a chance to those who have not yet contributed or acted. Then, when new donors step up, the n’si’im look at what is left to do and to give, and they resume their positions of benevolence and action.
High schoolers and college students today are often taught to check themselves - to speak up if they know they tend to stay quiet, and to hold back just slightly when they know they tend to dominate classroom conversation. In the construction of the mishkan, the often-dominant n’si’im hold back just enough so that they can leave room for new ideas and talent to blossom. So, too, in any organization, even when the leadership knows they may be responsible for a whole lot at the end of the day, it is always important to leave room for unexpectedly eager volunteers.
As construction tasks are completed in our parashah, the Torah reminds us that the actions involved are ka’asher tzivah Adonai et Moshe - just as Adonai commanded Moses. Each action sources back to the bigger picture - towards fulfilling God’s command and building a home for God among the people Israel. Just like any successful organization, each action involved in building the mishkan points to a larger mission and vision. People want to participate because they know the holy purpose behind their every action.
At the end of the day, as God’s glory fills the mishkan, and as God continues to travel with the people in a pillar of cloud and fire, God’s presence is l’einei khol beit Yisrael (Exodus 40:38) - in the eyes of all of the house of Israel. Just as the children of Israel are able to see the rewards of their efforts, organizations must state and celebrate their successes. All that hard work has to pay off somewhere; contributors must be acknowledged for their efforts. Just as crucially, as our parashah begins with Shabbat as a way to rest from the work of the mishkan, every organization needs time for rest and reflection on the work done. We all need time to name triumphs and challenges, to brainstorm what’s to come before diving in.
Our Agudath Achim website welcomes its guests with a statement formulated before I made my way to Shreveport:
Congregation Agudath Achim is an inclusive, egalitarian Conservative congregation in Shreveport, Louisiana, whose members are committed to each other, to active participation in worship services, to meaningful Jewish learning, and to spiritual growth.
As we strive for our future as a home for the Shreveport Jewish community, we can utilize some of God’s non-profit management techniques towards ensuring our continuity. When we plan anything, from programming to finances to the structure of our board, we can look back on our statement of purpose and ask - Does this decision support commitment to one another? Does it encourage active service participation, Jewish learning, or spiritual growth? And when we find the answer to those questions, with our advertisement of changes and decisions, we can root our words and actions back to our mission. With every project, we can search out different people to contribute time, energy, and resources, to achieve a broader attachment to our goals. Just as we do with each board and committee meeting, we can take deliberate time to reflect on how our actions fit (or don’t fit) with our visions as a community, as well as what detailed prescriptions we need moving forward.
Now, let’s think back to those dreams expressed just a few minutes ago. They may not all be plausible in the next few years, but imagine how much of what was stated could be achieved through the commitment of a few more volunteers and donors, through careful planning, and through the positivity of encouragement and reflection. We are a congregation with 120 years of commitment to this holy space and to each other. Over 120 years, we have cultivated our modern mishkan, our modern home for God and a space for learning and inspiration for hundreds of Shreveport Jews. May we use our collective strengths towards another 120 years of worship, learning, and growth. Shabbat Shalom.
Tue, October 8 2024
6 Tishrei 5785
Rabbi's Sermons
Bereshit - Genesis
- Parshat Bereshit: Oct. 26, 2019, October 1, 2021, October 2, 2021
- Parshat Noah: Nov. 2, 2019, October 8, 2021, Oct. 29, 2022
- Parshat Lekh-L'kha: Nov. 9, 2019, Oct. 31, 2020, Oct. 31, 2020 - Part 2, Oct. 15, 2021
- Parshat Vayeira: Nov. 16, 2019, Nov. 7, 2020, Nov. 7, 2020 - Part 2, Oct. 22, 2021, Oct. 23, 2021
- Parshat Hayei Sara: Nov. 14, 2020, Oct. 30, 2021
- Parshat Toldot: Nov. 30, 2019, Nov. 21, 2020, Nov. 6, 2021
- Parshat Vayeitzei: Nov. 28, 2020, Nov. 13, 2021
- Parshat Vayishlah: Dec. 14, 2019 , Dec. 5, 2020, November 20, 2021
- Parshat Vayeisheiv: Dec. 12, 2020, Nov. 27, 2021
- Parshat Miketz: Dec. 4, 2021
- Parshat Vayigash: Jan. 4, 2020, Dec. 26, 2020, Dec. 11, 2021
- Parshat Vay'hi: Jan. 11, 2020, Jan. 2, 2021
Shemot-Exodus
- Parshat Sh'mot: Jan. 18, 2020, Jan. 18, 2020 - Part 2, Jan. 9, 2021
- Parshat Va'eira: Jan. 25, 2021
- Parshat Bo: Feb. 1, 2020, Jan. 23, 2021
- Parshat B'shalah: Jan. 30, 2021, Jan. 15, 2022, Feb. 3, 2023, Feb.4, 2023
- Parshat Yitro: Feb. 15, 2020, Feb. 6, 2021, Feb. 6, 2021, Feb. 21, 2022, Feb. 22, 2022
- Parshat Mishpatim: Feb. 22, 2020, Feb. 18, 2023
- Parshat T'rumah: Feb. 29, 2020, Feb. 29, 2020 - Part 2, Feb. 20, 2021, Feb. 4, 2022, Feb. 5, 2022, Feb. 25, 2023
- Parshat T'tzaveh: March 7, 2020, Feb. 27, 2021, Feb. 12, 2022, Feb. 11, 2022
- Parshat Ki Tisa: March 14, 2020, March 6, 2021, February 19, 2022
- Parshot Vayak'heil-P'kudei: March 21, 2020, March 13, 2021, February 26, 2022, March 18, 2023
Vayikra-Leviticus
- Parshat Vayikra: March 20, 2021, March 11, 2022, March 24, 2023, March 25, 2023
- Parshat Tzav: April 4, 2020, March 27, 2021, March 19, 2022
- Parshat Sh'mini: April 18, 2020
- Parshot Tazria-Metzora: April 25, 2020, April 17, 2021, April 2, 2022, April 20, 2024
- Parshot Achrei Mot-Kedoshim: May 2, 2020, April 24, 2021, May 7, 2022, May 3, 2024, May 10, 2024
- Emor: May 9, 2020, May 1, 2021, May 13, 2022, May 14, 2022, May 6, 2023
- Parshot B'har-B'hukotai: May 8, 2019, May 16, 2020, May 7, 2021, May 21, 2022, May 28, 2022, May 24, 2024, May 31, 2024
Bamidbar-Numbers
- Parshat Bamidbar: May 15, 2021, May 20, 2023, June 7, 2024
- Parshat Nasso: June 6, 2020, June 6, 2020 - Part 2, May 22, 2021, June 10, 2022, June 2, 2023, June 14, 2024
- Parshat B'ha'alotcha: June 13, 2020, June 13, 2020 - Part 2, June 9, 2023, June 10, 2023, June 21, 2024
- Parshat Sh'lach: June 20, 2020, June 20, 2020 - Part 2, June 5, 2021, June 28, 2024
- Parshat Korah: June 27, 2020, July 18, 2020, July 24, 2023, July 5, 2024
- Parshot Chukat-Balak: June 26, 2021, July 12, 2024, July 19, 2024
- Parshat Pinchas: July 11, 2020, July 11, 2020 - Part 2, July 2, 2021, July 3, 2021, July 22, 2022, July 23, 2022, July 26, 2024
- Parshot Matot-Masei: July 18, 2020, July 18, 2020 - Part 2, July 10, 2021, July 30, 2022, August 2, 2024
D'varim-Deuteronomy
- Parshat D'varim: July 25, 2020, July 25, 2020 - Part 2, July 17, 2021, August 6, 2022, August 9, 2024
- Parshat Va'et'hanan: Aug. 1, 2020, July 24, 2021, August 12, 2022, August 13, 2022, Aug. 16, 2024
- Parshat Eikev: Aug. 8, 2020, July 31, 2021, August 19, 2022, August 20, 2022
- Parshat Re'eh: August 7, 2021, August 30, 2024
- Parshat Shoftim: September 7, 2019, Aug. 22, 2020, August 14, 2021, August 14, 2021 - Part 2, September 3, 2022, September 6, 2024
- Parshat Ki Teitzei: Aug. 29, 2020, August 20, 2021, September 13, 2024
- Parshat Ki Tavo: Sept. 5, 2020, Sept. 5, 2020 - Part 2, August 28, 2021, Sept. 17, 2022, Sept. 20, 2024
- Parshot Nitzavim-Vayeilech: Sept. 11, 2021, September 24, 2022, Sept. 27,2024
- Parshat Ha'Azinu: Sept. 26, 2020, October 4, 2024
- Parshat Haberakhah
Rosh HaShanah: Sept. 19, 2020, Sept. 19, 2020 - Part 2, Sept. 19, 2020 - Part 3, Sept. 20, 2020, Sept. 7, 2021, Sept. 8, 2021, Sept. 9, 2021, Sept. 26, 2022
Yom Kippur: Sept. 28, 2020, Sept. 16, 2021, October 5, 2022
Sukkot: Oct. 3, 2020 , Sept. 20, 2021
Passover: April 3, 2021, April 23, 2022, April 7, 2023, April 12, 2023 April 27, 2024
Rosh Hodesh: April 22, 2023
Friday Night
Kol Nidre Service : 6:20pm |
Candle Lighting : 6:28pm |
: 7:30pm |
Shabbat Day
Yom Kippur : 9:00am |
: 1:30pm |
Evening Service : 5:00pm |
Havdalah : 7:35pm |
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Oct 11 Kol Nidre Service Friday, Oct 11 6:20pm |
Oct 12 Yom Kippur Shabbat, Oct 12 9:00am |
Oct 12 Evening Service Shabbat, Oct 12 5:00pm |
Oct 13 Sukkot Preperation-setup. Decorating starts at 11 Sunday, Oct 13 10:00am |
Oct 16 Erev Sukkot Service Wednesday, Oct 16 7:00pm |
Candle Lighting
Friday, Oct 11, 6:28pm |
Havdalah
Motzei Shabbat, Oct 12, 7:35pm |
Erev Yom Kippur
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