Abraham planted an orchard and opened an inn in Beersheba.
There he proclaimed the name of G-d
Genesis 21:33
Abraham’s inn was the first public institution devoted to the dissemination
of the belief in monotheism and to the ethical behavior that follows from
this belief. By establishing a public institution that challenged the world’s hallowed tenets, Abraham promoted the awareness of monotheism even among people who never actually visited his inn. As its renown spread, Abraham’s inn wielded increasingly profound and broad influence.
Likewise today, the very existence of synagogues and institutions of
Torah study exert great positive influence upon a city simply by the
mere virtue of their presence, over and above the intrinsic value of
the study and prayer that take place within their walls.
—from Daily Wisdom #1