From my understanding of the reading, I believe that Ezra-Nehemiah's focus on infrastructure, group identity, and security were attempts to strengthen the community following exile because they were not only trying to return the community back to the way they were before exile, but even stronger. Through stability, communal confidence about the future and communal identity were formed (159). Spiritual practices that brought the people closer to God were also revitalized (158).
Smith-Christopher points out the a weakness for Ezra is the concept of separation, "fear of change in these difficult times is always a threat to innovation" (159). For Nehemiah, his weakness is found in the oppression he causes as a result of the rebuilding of the city walls. Smith-Christopher even goes as far as to say that "Nehemiah's work detail amounted to enslavement" (162). I believe that the strength of Ezra's reforms were in the participation in the acts declared by the laws of Moses, the spiritual practices physically and emotionally reestablished the community (156). Though Nehemiah's weakness was the oppression of the people, I believe that his strength also came as he responded to the oppression. Nehemiah too, tried to lessen the oppression by bring back reforms of the peoples' history, such as the Jubilee year and no taxation among each other (162-163).
I believe that the value of Ezra-Nehemiah can be found in the importance of community. Though I don't believe in the separations discussed, I see an underlying theme of working on strengthening the community that could be beneficial to modern churches.