I attended the Congregação Israelita Paulista (CIP) for a Solemn Act in Memory of the victims of the Holocaust. The ceremony honored the six million Jews murdered, as well as all other victims of the Nazi regime.

Among those present, the Jewish singer Fortuna (Fortunée Joyce Safdié) stood out, closing the event with a moving rendition of Israel’s national anthem, Hatikvá.

At that moment, I observed the reaction of the Jewish community as they listened and sang along. I felt the painful weight of the anthem and the depth of its meaning for them.

Fortuna’s voice seemed to echo like a prayer, guiding the chords through dense harmonies, full of sevenths and minors, flowing toward hope — hope born of pain, but also of triumph.

As an evangelical, I firmly believe in the restoration of Israel and the Jewish people into a kingdom of peace and prosperity, extending from the millennium into eternity. Solemn commemorations will become celebrations of joy, with dance and music, in a just world.

Fortuna’s journey has been marked by more than three decades of dedication to music. Her family background is diverse and complex, reflecting the Jewish diaspora itself.

If her ancestry could be summarized in a DNA test, the result might encompass the entire planet.

Here is an excerpt from her speech:

“…At home, we speak French, I heard a lot of Arabic, and my mother is Argentine. I grew up surrounded by these languages since childhood. I spent much time with my grandparents in Buenos Aires. They were very affectionate. My grandmother was born in Manchester. My grandfather was born in Haiti because his parents worked along the Silk Road, and Haiti was a destination of interest…”.

Before becoming a liturgical singer, Fortuna studied theater and dance, including at the Rubin Academy in Jerusalem.

Early in her career, she was immediately accepted by conductor John Neschling to perform in Rasga Coração at Teatro Itália.

Despite difficulties and even rejection of project because of her Jewish identity, Fortuna found in music her form of resistance and expression. For her, Hatikvá is more than an anthem.

The hope that resonates in Hatikvá will never fade, even in a world where darkness so often seems to prevail.

Watch the video (Portuguese)!

Source: Celia Bensadon / Conib

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)