Job at 120 dB
Job’s story is one of the first biblical accounts I took seriously. Not from reading it, but because I heard it set to music, almost word for word. It’s one of two biblical portions that have followed me around my entire life, tapping me on the shoulder at milestone moments. It started in my early teens when scripture meant little to me other than as a relic of my Jewish heritage, closed up in synagogue Ark and prayerbooks to see the light of day to mark occasions. This being a moment when, as for Job, even friends have become accusers and Zionism turns into seemingly universal rejection, the story takes on a new and unexpected life exploring condemnation of those who seemed to be friends and the bright future beyond it. I first heard “The Tale of Job” told in electrified 120-decibel amplification at a rock concert fifty-three years ago. It was a triple bill but my friends and I had gone to see just the middle act, a group called “Seatrain” wit...