A few months ago, I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Yossi Green , arguably the preeminent and most prolific composer of Jewish music today. Virtually every singer who wishes to “make it” in the world of Jewish music knows much of Green’s oeuvre, and seeks to collaborate with him; It is said that the road to Jewish music stardom goes through the Seagate neighborhood of Brooklyn, where Green lives. Many of his compositions have been incorporated into the repertoire of Baalei Tefilla everywhere. In fact, he composed a setting of the entire Kabbalat Shabbat , with all original tunes. I’ve long been a fan of his work, and we made up to meet in New York at the end of December when I was scheduled to fly in and officiate at the wedding of our members Devora and Adam Davies. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be, as I contracted COVID and was in quarantine instead… While I do hope to meet him sometime soon, I am biding the time by listening to his compositions.
In many communities, on four special Shabbatot from before Rosh Chodesh Adar to Rosh Chodesh Nissan, known as the Arba Parshiyot, there are special liturgical additions to the Shacharit and Mussaf services known as yotzrot. In fact, there are some communities that even have special yotzrot for the “by weeks” during this time when there is no special additional Torah reading. Yossi Green composed a beautiful setting of the following passage from the Yotzrot for Shacharit of Shabbat Zachor. The alliterative and haunting text is a prayer for God’s remembrance, one that resonates even stronger as evil continues to rear its head in Ukraine:
God, please, in the same language that you told those who remember You, to remember [Amalek] With that same word, they remind You, please, to remember [his evil] And if they, like human beings, have violated the covenant to remember, You are God, and not man, why do You not remember?
Though with this, I know, that you are to remember But my soul is despondent until you finally do remember, Do I have strength to hope until the time of remembrance And when is my end, that I will live long enough for You to remember,
And if for me you do not remember, Do it for Your sake and the sake of Jerusalem. Watch this rendition, performed by Chassidic singer and Cantor Shulim Lemmer .
Hakarat HaTov
This coming week will be, thank God, a busy one and many people are responsible for what we pray will be its success. Since I’m certain many people will be involved I don’t yet know about, I won’t thank anyone here by name yet, but I thank everyone already, in advance!
Remember that this week is Shabbat Zachor, and that hearing the reading of Parshat Zachor is a biblical obligation. We will be reading Parshat Zachor four times in shul on Shabbat morning: During Torah reading at Hashkamah and in the main minyan, immediately after the main minyan and then once again five minutes before Mincha. It is also the week where I deliver my annual poetic sermon- I look forward to seeing everyone there!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky
Congregation Shaare Tefilla 6131 Churchill Way Dallas, TX 75230
