Federation Means Family: Here for Each Other and Our Community in Times of Need
A Message from Steve Lotter, Director of Community Engagement
It is late on Saturday night as I write this reflection from my hotel room in Washington D.C. I’m in town for the General Assembly, the annual gathering of Jewish communal leaders, philanthropists, professionals, and community partners from across North America. But my heart and mind are in South Bend.
It isn’t easy to leave behind a community still mourning our leader and friend, Moshe Kruger. In some ways, I still feel frozen in the exact moment when I first heard the news that he had passed away unexpectedly during a trip to see family in Israel. Sitting around the conference table, joined by my colleagues and our board president Cristyne Porile, all of us were in complete and utter shock. How could this happen? I had just heard from Moshe much earlier in the day via email. Even while in Israel, his heart and mind were still in our community, nurturing his team with advice and words of encouragement from halfway around the world. None of this was surprising—that’s just the kind of leader Moshe was.
And now, in his absence, I find myself doing the same thing from D.C.—continuing to think of ways we can strengthen our mission of nurturing authentic, meaningful Jewish experiences in greater South Bend, and how we can discover new points of connection within our community, so that everyone feels part of a vibrant tapestry woven together by shared values and the belief that, together, we are greater than the sum of our parts. Moshe believed this in his bones, and he sought to awaken that same sense of purpose in others. He certainly inspired that conviction in all of us who worked alongside him.
Federation means family is not just words, it’s our actions. It’s showing up for the most vulnerable among us, especially in times of need. This week, I saw our community come together to hold Moshe’s loved ones in our arms during this time of heartache and hardship; making meals, sharing memories, sending condolences, and joining our voices in song and prayer. And I saw our Federation staff put in long hours to make sure we could continue moving forward, despite our state of grief. I am incredibly proud to be among this group of dedicated professionals who truly care for the community we serve. Thank you to Dan Cossman, Jordan Price, Louise Williams, Omer Karavani, Rabbi Fred Nebel, and Ben Barwick for being there for each other and all of us when it mattered most.
Moshe left this world far too soon—his devotion to family and passion for our community were still overflowing. His final words in our staff group chat were, “Sending my love from the Holy Land.” We knew he meant it.
Steve Lotter
Director of Community Engagement
steve@thejewishfed.org
(574) 233-1164 x1805
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