The Kadoorie Mekor Haim synagogue opened its doors today to host a World Youth Day 2023 event. During the morning, visitors learned about Jewish culture and relations between Jews and Catholics. In the afternoon, the Mekor Haim male choir of the Jewish Community of Oporto sang for hundreds of young people and representatives of the Jewish, Muslim and Catholic communities. The Bishop of Oporto opened the ceremony.
"The friendship between Jews and Catholics in Porto is very intense. A few years ago we celebrated a protocol of friendship and cooperation, but what matters most is the close and fraternal relationship that we have permanently, of mutual help and understanding", said the Bishop D. Manuel Linda, before an audience composed of young people from many nations, such as France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Croatia and Tanzania.
Michael Rothwell, from the Jewish Community of Oporto, recalled that "Jews and Catholics already lived in this city before Portugal even existed. We are proud to be united and work together. The Mekor Haim Choir itself, being led by Jews, is also composed by Catholics who are extraordinary people."
World Youth Day 2023 is a Catholic festival held in Portugal. The most emphasized and well known traditional theme is the unity and presence of numerous different cultures. Over 400,000 young people have registered to take part in the celebrations and the Pope himself will visit the country.
The Mekor Haim Choir was formed in October 2020 “to teach, learn, and perform Jewish liturgical, Sephardi, and Hebrew music for the education and enjoyment of its members and of the community at large”. It is composed of members of the Jewish Community of Oporto and others from the larger community with an interest in learning and performing Jewish music.
Today the following songs were sung:
1. Avram Avinu (Canção popular em Ladino)
“Quando o rei Nimrod saiu para o campo / Eu olhei no céu e nas estrelas / Eu vi uma luz sagrada no bairro judeu /que Abraham Avinu (nossso pai) estava para nascer./ Abraham Avinu, querido pai / O Pai abençoou a luz de Israel.
2. Tzur Mishelo (Hino do Shabbat, sec. 14, Música: Melodia Ladino)
“A Rocha, de cuja generosidade comemos: / Bendito seja Deus, meus fiéis. /Comemos até nos fartar e ainda resta comida, / De acordo com a palavra de Deus.”
3. Veshomeru (Hino do Shabbat, Exodus 31:16, Música: Lewandoski sec. 19)
“E os filhos de Israel guardarão o sábado, / guardando o sábado por suas gerações, por aliança perpétua.”
4. Maoz Tzur (Hino do Hanukkah, sec. 13, Música: Benedetto Marcello sec. 17)
“Meu Refúgio, minha Rocha de Salvação! / É agradável cantar Seus louvores.”
5. Adon Olam (hino de Shabbat, sec. 14, Música: David Aaron de Sola sec. 18)
“O Senhor do Universo que reinou/ Antes de qualquer coisa ser criada./ Quando tudo foi feito por sua vontade/ Ele foi reconhecido como Rei.”
6. Lecha Dodi (hino do Shabbat, sec. 16, Música: Zeira sec. 20)
“Vem, meu amigo, ao encontro da noiva / Paz do Shabbat bendigo.”
7. Shalom Aleichem (Hino do Shabbat, sec. 16, Música: Goldfarb, Arr. Aldema sec. 20)
“A paz esteja convosco / Anjos do céu / Anjos do altíssimo / Do Rei, do Rei dos reis / O Santo, bendito seja.”
8. Tzadik K’Tamar Yifrach (Hino do Shabbat, Salmo 92:13, Música: Lewandoski sec. 19)
“O homem justo florescerá como a palmeira / Ele prosperará como um cedro no Líbano.”
9. Ani Ma’amin (Credo de Maimônides, sec. 12, Música: Fastag, Arr. Wohl sec. 20)
“Creio com total fé na vinda do Messias, eu creio / E mesmo que ele possa demorar / No entanto, eu vou esperar por ele / Eu acredito.”
10. Hatikvah (Hino de Israel, Letra: Imber sec. 19, Melodia: Cenci sec. 16)
“Enquanto no coração, dentro, /A alma de um judeu ainda anseia, / E adiante, em direção aos confins do leste, / um olho ainda contempla Sião; /Nossa esperança ainda não está perdida, / A esperança de dois mil anos, / Ser uma nação livre em nossa terra, / A terra de Sião e Jerusalém.
