I’ve always been a proud Jew but I’ve been especially pleased with my Jewish identity ever since I realized that the majority of golden age musical theater writers were Jewish:

Irving Berlin, George & Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein, Lorenz Hart, Yip Harburg, Harold Arlen, Leonard Bernstein, Jule Styne, Alan Jay Lerner, Fredrick Lowe, Frank Loesser, Jerry Herman, Burt Bacharach, Betty Comden, Adolph Green,  Dorothy Fields, Cy Coleman, Marvin Hamlisch, Sheldon Harnick, Jerry Bock, John Kander, Fred Ebb, Stephen Sondheim… the list goes on and on!

It’s ironic that many of the classic Christmas songs which come from good old fashioned American musicals were written by these Jewish (assimilated) songwriting icons. Favorite examples include:

1. “White Christmas” was written by Irving Berlin, aka Israel Beilin, (WHITE CHRISTMAS) . 

2. “We Need a Little Christmas” was written by Jerry Herman (MAME).

3. “Turkey Lurkey Time” was written by Burt Bacharach (PROMISES, PROMISES).

So it would seem that the creative legacy of Jewish writers has become intertwined with the cultural celebration of Christmas in America!

And now, just like all good Jews should, I’m going to get ready to go to the movies on this lovely (though unfortunate decidedly not snowy white) Christmas and then come home to light the candles for the sixth night of Chanukah.  🙂