Beyond Borders: Toward Something Greater Than Ourselves
A Minute with Moshe Kruger
These are challenging times for the Jewish people—both here at home and in Israel.
As we enter 5786, the Federation remains committed to ensuring that everyone can find meaning, connection, and belonging in our Jewish community. Through our programs, we aim to create opportunities to engage, support one another, and draw strength from our shared identity.
The beauty of Jewish life lies in our enduring traditions, collective values, and unwavering responsibility to one another. These bonds have sustained us through history’s most difficult chapters. And while today’s divisions may feel deep, our unity has always been deeper.
Now more than ever, the Federation and its partners have a civic responsibility to engage the broader Jewish community—and beyond—in the Jewish values of machloket l’shem shamayim (sacred disagreement) and elu v’elu (honoring multiple voices).
The Federation was built on a powerful idea: that by fostering communal leadership and connection, we can build stronger, more resilient communities. For over 80 years, our Federation has worked to nurture a caring, inclusive, and unified Jewish community grounded in our shared heritage.
As a pluralistic organization, we honor and embrace diversity across ethnicity, national origin, denomination, race, age, gender, identity, orientation, ability, and socioeconomic background.
Each of us carries a story shaped by our experiences and perspectives. These differences push us to listen, learn, and grow. They build empathy. They strengthen our collective resolve. And when we face adversity—as we inevitably do—it is our unity in diversity that helps us rise, again and again.
Let’s not fear our differences. Let’s celebrate them. Because in them, we find resilience. We find courage. We find each other.
In that spirit of unity—not uniformity—we’re proud to invite you to a special evening celebrating the release of Alba: Beyond Borders, a powerful and personal album by Israeli American pianist Dror Baitel and acclaimed Venezuelan American soprano Maria Brea. The evening will feature an intimate performance of works from the album.
Alba: Beyond Borders reminds us that music—like identity—knows no borders. It is a living testament to resilience, renewal, and shared humanity. Born from the recital Voces de Venezuela, first performed at Notre Dame in 2023 and recorded in 2024, this project blends the musical traditions of Latin America and the Jewish diaspora.
Sung in Spanish, Ladino, Yiddish, Galego, and Portuguese, the songs reflect universal themes—motherhood, faith, displacement, and the search for home. These stories, of both Latin American and Jewish communities, are a tribute to the historical connection between these two vibrant cultures that dates back over 500 years.
More than a recital, this album is a musical migration—an exploration of layered identities and shared histories. “Alba,” meaning “dawn” in Spanish, symbolizes renewal. And “Beyond Borders” speaks to the album’s heart: transcending divisions to find common ground.
Following the performance, we invite you to a special reception celebrating the album’s release on Thursday, October 9 at 6 PM at the University of Notre Dame’s LaBar Recital Hall. This event is free and open to the public.
Special thanks to the Kapson Cultural Arts Fund for supporting this program.
