The song Ani Ma'amin is a crucial piece in the repertoire of the Mekor Haim Choir. which serves as the musical voice of the Jewish Community of Oporto. It integrates this classic song into its standard performances. While the choir mostly focuses on traditional synagogue and Sephardic liturgy, "Ani Ma'amin" and "Hatikva" are the two primary contemporary additions performed outside standard prayer structures.
"Ani Ma'amin" (Hebrew for "I Believe") is a foundational declaration of Jewish faith and endurance, serving as the ultimate anthem of hope in the face of despair. The text of the song dates back centuries, but its most iconic modern melody was forged during World War II.
The words are extracted from the Thirteen Principles of Faith formulated by Maimonides. Specifically, the song uses the 12th principle:"I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah, and even though he may delay, nevertheless, I wait each day for him to arrive." Yet, the song's most famous melody was composed in the darkness of the Holocaust, transforming it into a historical testament to spiritual survival.
The legendary melody was composed by the Modzitzer Hasidic cantor named Reb Azriel David Fastag while packed into a cattle car heading to the Treblinka death camp. He began humming the tune, and soon the entire train car was singing it in defiance of their captors.
Fastag declared he would give half his portion in the World to Come to anyone who could bring the melody to his rebbe in New York. Two young men jumped from the speeding train. One died in the fall, but the other survived, eventually bringing the musical notation to Rabbi Shaul Yedidya Elazar Taub.
Later, upon hearing it, the Modzitzer Rebbe famously wept and said, "With this tune, Jews marched to the gas chambers; with this tune, Jews will march to greet the Messiah." It quickly spread across the globe as a definitive Martyrs' Hymn.
Today, "Ani Ma'amin" is a staple of Jewish collective memory. It is sung at Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) services, at the conclusion of Passover Seders to honor ghetto fighters, and by soldiers and communities worldwide to symbolize that the Jewish spirit remains unbroken.
