Judeo-Christian Ethos
The outcome of the collaboration between religions is an extraordinary, multifaceted performance. Today, I explore the Judeo-Christian Ethos with music.
Bartek Gliniak, a distinguished film composer, a Christian, and I, Jewish, are very close friends. Bartek’s immaculate creativity is deeply entrenched in virtue.
One day, when we were chit-chatting, Bartek asked me if Christian songs could be sung by Jews, especially in Hebrew and in Israel. My reply was that “Jews are okay with singing Christian songs.”
And Bartek went for it. He worked for two years to compose the ‘Symphony Of Mercy, with Jesus as the central theme, comprised of 21 songs, to be sung in 16 languages; in the Hebrew language by Yasmin Levy.
Bartek Gliniak
Bartek Gliniak, born in Poland and based in the United States, a graduate of the Academy of Music in Kraków, Poland, is a film and television music composer and the author of numerous oratorios.
Bartek composed scores for over 50 films including the films numerously awarded at the international film festivals and received five nominations for the Eagles – Polish Film Awards.
Yasmin Levy
Yasmin Levy, a Sephardic Jew whose parents were immigrants to Israel from Turkey. Her father, Yitzhak Isaac Levy, was a composer and a hazzan (cantor*), a pioneer researcher into the history of the Spanish Jewry diaspora’s notable Ladino music and culture and the editor of Aki Yerushalayim, the Ladino language magazine.
* In the context of religion, particularly Judaism and some Christian traditions, a cantor is a skilled singer or choir leader who leads the congregation in worship, often by singing or chanting religious music and prayers. Cantors often teach religious music and serve as educators, counselors, and spiritual leaders.
Following her father’s footsteps, with her gifted voice, Yasmin has brought to life the Ladino music, incorporating into it more “modern” sounds of Andalusian, flamenco and Turkish music backed by darbuka, oud, violin, cello, and piano musical instruments.
Yasmin’s proclamation on her website tells us who she is: “If there were no religions, music would be the religion of humanity. As a person, I believe that each of us is a different color of God, and each color has its own beauty. God sent His colors to this world through us. We are just the conduits. If we understood this, we wouldn’t hate and fight each other, if we understood that each of us is a part of God, if we connected and loved God’s colors, our world would be beautiful and without wars. Thank God for letting me bridge people and cultures through music.”
City of Kraków
Kraków is a southern Poland city located near the border of the Czech Republic, known for its well-preserved medieval core and Jewish quarter. The city’s old town – ringed by Planty Park and remnants of the city’s medieval walls – is centered on the stately Rynek Glówny (market square-plaza), a tourism attraction site that includes the Cloth Hall, a Renaissance-era trading outpost, and St. Mary’s Basilica, a 14th-century Gothic church.
The Symphony Of Mercy – Symfonyat Rahamim – (סימפונית רחמים)
The world’s premiere performance of the vigil of the Feast of Mercy prayer, in conjunction with Divine Mercy Shrines** around the world, based on the words of Saint Faustina Kowalska, for the intention of World Peace.
**Divine Mercy Shrines are places of pilgrimage dedicated to Divine Mercy, a Catholic devotion centered on the message of Jesus’s mercy, as revealed to Saint Faustina Kowalska. These shrines offer opportunities for prayer, reflection, and encounter with God’s mercy through various devotions.
“The Symphony of Mercy: I am with you, fear nothing” is a composition for symphony orchestra, choirs, soloists, and narrator, designed to be performed in 16 languages, to ensure that the message of Merciful Love reaches a vast global audience.
The Symphony’s music was composed by Bartek Gliniak; lyrics are drawn directly from the ‘Diary’ of Saint Faustina Kowalska, with carefully selected fragments arranged into song cycles. Each song reflects the region and culture associated with the language in which it is performed which are: Polish, Ukrainian, Portuguese, Lithuanian, Spanish, English, German, Swedish, Italian, Swahili, Hebrew, Chinese, Arabic, French, Russian, and Latin.
Invitation to Attend the Symphony of Mercy Concert
Yasmin Levy, speaking to you in her native language – Hebrew – invites you to attend the Symphony of Mercy – an outdoor concert and intercontinental prayer event!
Saturday, April 26, 2025, Białe Morze, in front of the John Paul II Center, Totus Tuus 34, 30-610 Kraków, Poland.
Admission, free.
Broadcast: TVP2, EWTN, The Global Catholic Network.
Final Note
The complexity of religions is challenging to overcome. The ‘Symphony Of Mercy’ is destined to help bridge these difficult challenges.
