This year, LABA launched its first international program, LABA-BA: Laboratorio de Arte y Cultura Judía, in Buenos Aires. As in New York, LABA-BA’s fellows are artists across all disciplines, studying classic Jewish texts in a non-religious, open-minded setting. Here, words from LABA-BA’s founder and director, Mirta Kupferminc.
Three years ago, I received the first invitation to be an international fellow of LABA NY. From that unique experience on, I understood how wonderful this project and challenge could be. The addictive passion produced by the intimate and free-minded reading of classical Jewish texts awakened in myself the desire to plunge into creating LABA-BA and taking this journey together. Now, as the founder and director of LABA-BA, what I’ve found hardest and most essential to reproduce is just that spirit of LABA in New York, which is born not only of ideas, but of human connection. 
One Tuesday every 20 days, the two groups meet at the same time in Buenos Aires and New York. One group of fellows meets in warm clothes during the cold winter, while the other sweats on a hot summer night. But in spite of this, we are all connected by our studies. Thanks to video chat, it looks as if we were sitting all together around a long table that crosses from one hemisphere to the next. 
We have only just begun our study of BEAUTY, but we are already enjoying the beauty of the encounter, of friendship, and of re-visiting our ancient culture, which continues to arouse questions and provoke us with a contemporary artistic commitment. With enthusiasm, we will do our best to raise this beautiful new child in Buenos Aires, LABA-BA.
Mirta Kupferminc
Director, LABA-BA
