Shabbat Shalom from Sam: Building Something Beautiful Together

As we move toward Shabbat, I’ve been thinking about what it truly means to build community not in the abstract, but in the small, tangible ways we show up for one another. The conversations we have, moments we share, the ways we create something meaningful together, even when the world around us can feel fragmented.

This week, I’m especially grateful to share that we received a grant from Glick Philanthropies to bring a new Community Mosaic to life here at the J, which will ultimately be hung inside the entrance of our JCC.

At its heart, this project will be guided by two extraordinary artists: Joani Rothenberg, a celebrated artist and long-time member of our community, and Yael Buxbaum, an Israeli artist whose work and perspective will deepen the meaning of this shared creation.

Joani’s involvement makes this moment even more meaningful to me personally. She is not only a powerful and well-known artist — she is someone whose journey with the J reflects the very story we are trying to tell. After stepping away for a time, Joani chose to return and re-engage, drawn to be part of the JCC we are building today. In that process, we’ve had the opportunity to build a genuine relationship — one grounded in shared vision, trust, and a belief in what this community can become.

That, too, is mosaic work.

Together, Joani and Yael will guide a process that invites everyone to participate — across all faiths, backgrounds, and generations. Each person will have the opportunity to contribute a piece, ensuring that the final image reflects not only individual stories, but the diversity and strength of our JCC community — deeply rooted in Jewish values of connection, belonging, and shared responsibility.

It’s not just about the final installation that will welcome everyone who walks through our doors. It’s about the process — the relationships formed, the barriers softened, the sense of belonging that grows when we take the time to see one another and create something beautiful together.

In so many of my recent Friday reflections, I’ve written about connection, about our responsibility to hold onto one another, especially in times that can feel divided or uncertain. This mosaic feels like a living expression of that idea.

Piece by piece, we build something whole.
Hand in hand, we create something lasting.

Next week, you will hear more about how you can be involved in this effort. I hope many of you will find a way to take part, whether by contributing a tile, joining a session, or simply coming to witness what our community can create together.

As we enter Shabbat, may we each find ways — large or small — to contribute our own “piece.” To listen a little more deeply and connect a little more openly. To remember that together, we are always capable of creating something more beautiful than we could alone.

Shabbat Shalom,

Sam Dubrinsky – JCC Indy CEO