Numi Numi

I just got back from a very special Women's Chorus rehearsal and I really want to share. Sorry for the length, but honestly, I probably could have gone on and on.  

Women's Chorus is singing a song, Reflections from Yad Vashem, which was written based on the composer's life-changing experience at the Children's Memorial in Jerusalem. (quick shout out: we'll be singing it at our March 30th Concert! Buy tickets!)  

(this has been added to my "to go" list, for sure) 

The music itself is so eerie and dark, with some text from Genesis that gives me chills. Then, the names.

 We sing the names of some children that were killed in the Holocaust: 

Israel Ofrecht, 

Ytzkahk Faierman, 

Tommy Kolmar, 

Claude Naxara, 

Sarah Fleischmann, 

Bella Ostrinkskaya. 

The song progresses, with more dissonance, more accidentals, more, more, more, then the climax: 

Be thou the mother of thousands of millions. 

Then almost complete silence followed by the humble "pivotal moment," as Sister Applonie called it. 

"Pristine oblivion of wind whispered, wind whispered names and candle flame, Infinite space and the faces, the faces of children by mercy reclaimed." 

from Merriam-Webster: 

reclaim: 

1. to recall from wrong or improper conduct

2. to rescue from an undesirable state; also : to restore to a previous natural state

Sister Applonie's insight was this: this part of the piece is the veil, where the children who have been killed from the horrific genocide no longer have to endure it. They are welcomed by Christ into the next life, they are reclaimed by mercy. 

The end of the piece is light compared to the heavy, heart-sickening melody of the beginning. It's a Hebrew lullaby. Sister Applonie shared that she is certain that it is those on the other side of the veil singing this lullaby to the children. 

That to me is another testament that there is life after death. There is. Christ has suffered it all so that we can live again. Christ suffered what those little children had to. He knew what they went through. His mercy reclaimed them. 

It is also another testament to me that those who have passed the veil are still close. I love that the angels are singing these children a lullaby, giving them a piece of their childhood that was stripped from them, giving them peace, saying "sleep now." 

I can't fully write my feelings about this song and the emotions it provokes, but again, to me it is a testament of the Plan of Happiness.