GREAT READS Issue 944 · January 11, 2023

A New Stage

I was an opera singer. Then Torah helped mefind my voice

A New Stage


As told to Chani Leiser by Alicia Ferraro

Igrew up far from Torah Judaism, and far from the limelight.

I was born in Asunción, the capital city of Paraguay. My childhood was sweet — my parents were warm, supportive people whose top priority was family. They deeply valued being Jewish. But about Torah and mitzvos, I knew little.

Growing up, there was always music in the background. My mother studied at a music conservatory and was a voice training teacher. From an early age, I was exposed to classical music. I remember watching my maternal grandmother working around the house: Every so often, she would walk over to the piano, play a few keys, then return to her tasks. My father was a biochemist by trade, but he also came from a musical family.

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