Dio, por ké abandonarmos? Oh, siente muestra oración! Dio Santo, kómo salvarmos? Kómo salvarmos, tu nación? Amán, el negro, el potente, kiere la fin de Israel. Dejas tú venir la muerte para tu pueblo eternel?
God, why do you abandon us?
Oh, hear our prayer!
Holy God, how shall we be saved?
How will you save us, your nation? Haman, the dark one, the mighty,
wants the end of Israel.
Do you allow the coming of death
to your eternal people?
From Ventanas Altas de Saloniki, 2013. This piece was taken from the piece ‘Esther’, a musical play in three acts which articulates the plot via various operatic genres: recitativo, arias, duets and choruses. Some of its songs became popular in Salonika, becoming part of the oral tradition. It was performed on Purim, March 27, 1932 (11 Adar 5692) in the Theater Megalo Alexandrou, by members of the Bnei Mizrahi Youth Club, of Brit Trumpeldor. This is a prayer of Esther to God, asking to not abandon his 'eternal people' in the face of the evil intentions of Haman. 'Esther' was written by Shlomo Reuven and composed by Isaac (Artzi)-Sion, who born in Monastir and arrived in Salonika as a child. In 1941, when the Germans arrived in Salonika, he was taken to Auschwitz, where he had to play in the ghoulish orchestra that accompanied the marches to the crematorium until he was killed there in 1943.
This website was created by Orit Perlman with the collaboration and blessings of Dr. Susana Weich-Shahak in 2025