Words & Banter

RED & BLACK … And Jewish Christmas Carols?

Design by Sawyer Pennington, Underlying photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash


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Well, the “silly season,” as I call it, is in full swing, and, as always, there’s plenty to do. Although I’ve managed to get the house decorated, so that’s off my holiday to-do list.


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It always makes me laugh that a nice Jewish girl dresses her hallway bear in a Santa outfit.


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But Santas, reindeer, and snowmen aren’t religious; they’re seasonal. It’s fun and festive and makes the house feel warm and cozy.


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Christmas carols are seasonal as well. Unfortunately, you cannot escape them, which drives me crazy. Although I laugh when I think about their “Jewish connection”.

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What are you talking about?

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The fact that many of the most beloved Christmas carols were written by Jews. Songs like “Santa Baby,” “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” and “Silver Bells.” Even “The Christmas Song” was written by a Jew.

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And don’t forget probably the most famous of them all – “White Christmas” – with its music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. I love that song, plus the movie with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, which is a holiday classic.

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Since many of the great songwriters back then were Jewish, it is not surprising that they also wrote songs for the holidays.

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True. After all, Irving Berlin also wrote “Easter Parade,” which is another one of my favorite movies. But since he’s probably one of the greatest American songwriters, it wouldn’t surprise me if he had a song for every holiday. But they aren’t religious songs.

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Or, religious movies. One turned Christmas into a holiday about snow, and the other made Easter more of a fashion show. The funny thing is some people even consider “Die Hard” a Christmas movie. Regardless, the exit music, “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” was also written by a Jew.

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Hey, I’m one of those people! It’s one of my favorite movies, and because it takes place over Christmas, we decided to watch it last Christmas. And now it may become a new tradition. Anyway, most Christmas carols aren’t religious. They’re about the spirit of the holiday and the season.

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Exactly. No lyrics about “shopping until you’re dropping” or “buy yourself a merry little Christmas.” However, that is probably because they were written a long time ago, well before we were born, when things were very different.

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It makes you wonder what they’d write about today, especially given the non-stop focus on holiday shopping, starting well before Black Friday and even continuing after Christmas.

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Forget “dreaming of a white Christmas” … sounds like you are dreaming of a commercial-free holiday season. That will never happen, as it is the most critical time of year for retailers.


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I know that Chanukah usually falls around the same time as Christmas, and there’s even some overlap this year, but it’s a relatively minor holiday. Yes, there’s some gift giving, but not on the scale of gifts to be found under the Christmas tree. And we always light the menorah.


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Which is important. It is a way to stay connected with the meaning of the holiday. This time of year is supposed to be about people. And, celebration. And, traditions.


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Says the woman who hates the holidays.


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I hate “forced” celebrations. And, all the commercialization. And, over-indulgence.


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That makes sense, but you couldn’t have always felt this way. Don’t you have any childhood memories of the holidays?


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Of course, I do. They were simpler times. And, as much as I do not tend to look back, I remember being in the hospital one Christmas. I was only about five, and a gentleman dressed as Santa was delivering gifts to everyone. When he came to my bed, I refused the gift telling him I was Jewish and did not celebrate Christmas.


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Not the holiday memory I was expecting. Regardless, that must have surprised him. What did he say?


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He leaned over, pulled his fake white beard away from his face, whispered something Yiddish in my ear, and then said, “It’s ok, so am I.”


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That’s hilarious. Leave it to you to find a Jewish Santa!


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Obviously, it is one of my favorite holiday memories as it has stayed with me all these years. But, for me, it is the spirit of the holiday. He was doing for others. And, allowing some other “Santa” to be home with his family.


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Careful, you’re beginning to sound warm and fuzzy. Which is what the holidays are about.


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And, traditions. They go together like Christmas and Chinese food.



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Talk about a holiday tradition! Which reminds me of one of the funniest YouTube videos you have ever sent me … when Justice Elena Kagan, at her Supreme Court confirmation hearing, was asked where she was at Christmas, she replied, “You know, like all Jews, I was probably at a Chinese restaurant.”


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Not only was that a very quick and hilarious reply, but probably true.



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We not only order Chinese take-out on Christmas but also on New Year’s Eve and then watch some movies and try to stay awake until midnight.


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Well, that reminds me of another popular Irving Berlin song, “Happy Holiday,” that was introduced during the New Year’s Eve scene in the movie, "Holiday Inn."

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And is a perfect lead-in to wishing everyone very Happy Holidays (whatever you celebrate), and a happy and healthy New Year.

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Did you know that April's Autism Awareness Month? I wasn't aware (pun intended) of it until I read our local homeowner's monthly newsletter and it caught my eye.


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Actually, last month the founding organization, the Autism Society, changed "Awareness "to "Acceptance" to foster inclusivity, as knowing about something is very different from accepting it. But I am guessing that is not the point of this call.


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Although it isn't autism, it reminded me of years ago when we found out that Natasha has learning disabilities.


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I think you mean DIFF-abilities.


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Of course, that's another thing I remember. I was focused on the negative aspects of her diagnosis until you asked me, point-blank, "Why are they called disabilities?" And proceeded to explain that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses.


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Exactly! Imagine the world if everyone excelled at math, but flunked English. Or, a world of lawyers, but no musicians. Some people are better at social skills, while others excel at handling technical data. Why not just say that people who have different skillsets and abilities have DIFF-abilities versus making them feel like they have shortcomings?
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I had no idea that April was “Second Chance Month” until you sent me the official proclamation. I find it interesting that in the midst of juggling our usual million and one Red & Black things, your interest in criminal justice, which I know you consider a “passion project”, is as strong as ever, maybe even stronger.


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It is not intentional, sometimes “ passion projects” find you. And, when you least expect it.


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Or where you least expect it! Only you would take a “field trip” to a men’s prison.


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I will not get on my soapbox about how our education system contributes to the criminal justice problem. I will never forget a friend of mine who was formerly incarcerated telling me, “Rehabilitating people makes the assumption they were habilitated in the first place.”


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When you stop and think about that statement, it’s pretty powerful! But I have to smile as once upon a time you, and I, used words like “offenders” and “prisoners” until we learned how our choice of words could be dehumanizing .


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Says the woman who once believed in the idea of “lock ’em up and throw away the key”.
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