Why Jews Wrote Your Favorite Christmas Songs (From the Honestly Archives)
Jan 14, 2025
Discover how Jewish songwriters shaped the landscape of Christmas music, crafting beloved classics like 'White Christmas' and 'Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.' Explore the cultural significance of these iconic tunes and the rich histories of their creators, many of whom fled persecution in Europe. Learn about the unique blend of Jewish tradition and American holiday spirit, revealing a story of unity and inclusivity that transcends cultural boundaries. It's a fascinating dive into the melodies that have become part of the fabric of Christmas celebrations.
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Jewish Christmas Songwriters
Many famous Christmas songs were written by Jewish composers, including Sammy Cahn ("Let It Snow!") and Mel Tormé ("Chestnuts Roasting...").
Johnny Marks, also Jewish, wrote "Rudolph," "Holly Jolly Christmas," and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree."
insights INSIGHT
Roth's Interpretation
Philip Roth believed Jewish songwriters like Irving Berlin "de-Christed" holidays like Christmas and Easter.
Roth argued they transformed religious themes into secular concepts like snow or fashion.
insights INSIGHT
Christmas and Jewish History
Historically, Christmas was a time of fear for Jews in Europe, marked by anti-Jewish legislation and violence.
Rabbi Ari Lam notes instances like the 1369 decree in Sicily forcing Jews to wear badges and the 1881 Warsaw massacre.
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In this novel, Philip Roth narrates a journey to Israel where he encounters a man who has assumed his identity and is promoting 'Diasporism,' a reverse exodus of European Jews back to Europe. The story intertwines with the trial of John Demjanjuk, the First Intifada, and Roth's involvement in an intelligence mission for the Mossad. The book explores themes of identity, morality, and the blurred lines between reality and fiction, culminating in a deliberately anticlimactic epilogue that leaves key questions unresolved.
Did you know that the Americans who wrote nearly all of the Christmas classics were . . . Jewish? Many of these songwriters were the children of parents who had fled Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe during the great wave of immigration between 1880 and 1920.
Sammy Cahn, the son of Galician Jewish immigrants, wrote the words to “Let it Snow!” and was known as Frank Sinatra’s personal lyricist. There is also Mel Torme, the singer-songwriter responsible for composing the timeless “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.” His father fled Belarus for America in the early 20th century. Frank Loesser, a titan of Broadway and Hollywood musicals, wrote the slightly naughty “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” He was born into a middle-class Jewish family, his father having left Germany in the 1890s to avoid serving in the Kaiser’s military. Johnny Marks, the man who gave us “Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer,” “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”—yes, he was also one of the chosens.
Then there’s the greatest American composer of them all, Irving Berlin. His “White Christmas” is one of the biggest-selling singles in the history of American music. Berlin’s earliest memory was of watching his family’s home burn to the ground in a pogrom as his family fled Siberia for Belarus before emigrating to NYC in 1893.
Eli Lake explores why and how it was that American Jews helped create the sound of American Christmas.
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