"In our tradition, we often refer to two Jerusalems, the heavenly Jerusalem and the earthly Jerusalem, the one above and the one below. We will be working in this building in the earthly Jerusalem, the one below. We will be training leaders who we hope will go out and improve society. And in doing so, they will be reaching out to the ideal of the heavenly Jerusalem, the Torah ideal, and a vision of a just, inclusive, and equitable society for all of Israel's inhabitants."

Steve Hoffman, chairman of the Mandel Foundation