By having that mentality we allow an amazing mosaic of little contributions that makes our communities what they are. Some people donate money, some people donate skills, others connect with Chanichim, run Peulot, represent the Eizor to the greater communities, write a proposal, run MBI, lead Machanot, share thoughts on the list serve, write in the newsletter, work in the Chava, paint a mural and so much more. By having the choice of what we contribute, we are choosing to be a part of a community and we are actively shaping how it’s going to look like.
I gave the same speech in the Shul, finishing by donating the community my Siddur from the army. A few months later the president of that Shul gave a speech in the federation and he finished the speech by repeating what I said in their Shul. He pulled out a little Siddur and gave it to me. It was his US army Siddur. Parashat Truma is one of my favorite Parashot. It gives us a different concept of community and community building. It presents a social method we don’t always think about and don’t always use. It emphasizes the power of choice and the commitment that comes with it. More than that, I believe it’s a wonderful example of how we can find Jewish value and specifically a value we learn from, and that connects to our ideology in one simple Pasuk.