'Eli Eli lama azavtani' prayer in Ladino

"Eli Eli lama azavtani" is the opening phrase of Psalm 22.
"My God, why have you forsaken me?"

Eli, Eli, Láma Azávtani
I kon fuéĝo i flámas,
Si, mos kemáron
I en el múndo entéro mos persiĝiéron
Eli, Eli, Láma Azávtani
Eli, Eli, Láma Azávtani

Día i nóche vo pensándo i yorándo
Levánto mis ójos vérso el siélo
O Sánto Dyió, O Sánto Dyió
Sálva tu puévlo Israél
Porké tu sos muéstro Salvađór

Shemá Israél Adonáy eloh'éinu, Adonáy ehád.

(the spelling is not of standard, modern-day Spanish, but the kind of spelling that the Sepharad Jews of Thessaloniki use)

This is a prayer that was sung every year at Yom HaShoa at the big Synagogue of Thessaloniki to mourn the loss of the nearly 50.000 souls who perished during the Holocaust. The Jewish Community of Thessaloniki lost nearly 97 per cent of its members during the Holocaust.

Mr. Jacky Benmayor, a distinguished member and researcher of the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki taught me this prayer. He used to sing it every year, and before him, Leon Perahia, a Holocaust survivor sung it every year.

The video recording of this song is originally a part of the performance "Don't Forget Me," which was presented online 55th Dimitria Festival.
The performance featured dramatized readings-excerpts from the book "Don't Forget Me" by Leon Saltiel. Distinguished Greek Actresses perform the readings, while the President of Greece, Mrs. Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou is also participating by reading a few excerpts.

Original idea by Akis Sakellariou
Director: Grigoris Apostolopoulos

You can watch the entire performance in three parts at:

As well as entire concerts, dance and theater performance for free at: