For nearly five decades, Yossi Green’s tunes have been background music as we’ve moved through life
Even before Yossi Green and I get to talking about Yossi Green, we’re talking about Ishay Ribo, whom the veteran composer admires — and his song “Seder Ha’avodah” in particular. I comment that when I first heard it, I found it a bit offensive. The words are sacred, their nusach sacred, recited at the most sacred time of year — is it fodder for artistic expression?
Yossi Green listens politely to my take, and asks a question. “And then what happened?”
I admit at a certain point it grew on me, and I heard something powerful there.
He smiles. “The previous Lubavitcher Rebbe said, ‘Better to look in from the outside then to look out from inside.’ That means it’s better to feel the words, even from the outside, then to be inside and take them for granted. The composer is looking at the words his way, from his place, and sharing what he sees.”
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