Achinoam Nini, better known as Noa, is one of the most renowned Israeli artists globally. Her concert, titled “The voice of peace,\u201d will conclude the current edition of the Balagan Caf\u00e9 festival in Florence on the evening of September 5. Born in Tel Aviv in 1969, Noa is the voice behind the song “Beautiful That Way,” which is the soundtrack for Roberto Benigni’s film Life Is Beautiful, which won three Oscars in 1999 (best foreign language film, best actor, and best original score). This year, the Balagan Caf\u00e9 festival, organized by the Florence Jewish Community, opened in middle June in the magnificent synagogue\u2019s garden and dedicated a series of events dealt to the issue of peace.
\n\u201cIt wasn’t obvious that we would organize it this year. But then we realized that not doing so would have been a missed opportunity; and that\u2019s why we are here again, renewing our commitment to being a place of meeting and dialogue,” said Enrico Fink, recently re-elected for a second term as president of the Jewish Community of Florence.
\nThe cultural festival Balagan, which started in 2013 with the goal of further opening Jewish Florence to the city, is his creation. Since then, it has flourished with author talks, conferences, musical events, and social gatherings. Even this complex summer, hundreds of Florentines gathered every Thursday evening near the synagogue to listen to and engage with intellectuals, religious leaders, and activists.
\n“The war has shaken consciences and generated an unprecedented discussion in our city and our communities,” said Fink at the festival’s opening. “Now more than ever, we need new perspectives to break down barriers and help create new pathways for recognizing the other, their reasons, their rights, and their suffering. Pathways that can dismantle futile and long-standing oppositions.” In this regard, Fink added, “The Balagan will play its part by bringing concrete examples of coexistence and dialogue to our city.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"