Oy to the world: The Jewish hand in the holiday mix

While many may not realize how deeply Jewish composers have shaped the sound of Christmas, this rabbi explores that shared musical legacy and concludes with a Hanukkah reimagining of a beloved classic.

It all begins around Thanksgiving. The airwaves are filled with Christmas music — nostalgic, sentimental, and unmistakably familiar. Many of us who grew up in America, especially in public schools, remember the winter festival pageants where these holiday classics dominated the repertoire. And perhaps, just perhaps, one lonely Hanukkah song was thrown in for the Jews.

Most of the Jews I know who were raised in the US can probably sing these songs by heart. After all, we have heard them year after year after year. And let’s face it — most of them are pretty, pretty catchy (nod to Larry David 🙂 ). The melodies echo in our heads, constantly nudging and nagging, like old friends who won’t take the hint.

And to those who say, “Jews shouldn’t sing Christmas songs,” I say: Bah humbug! Some worry that singing these songs might compromise or threaten one’s Jewish identity, but in my experience, it never did. We all sang them growing up, and many of you may recall that when it came time to mention “you know who,” we sang, “mmmmmmm… THE… mmmmmmm.”

But here’s the quieter, remarkable truth woven through these songs: many of the most beloved Christmas classics were written not by Christian songwriters or composers, but by Jews.

Among the Jewish composers who defined the sound of Christmas, one stands out: Irving Berlin, whom George Gershwin once called “the greatest songwriter who ever lived.”  In 1938, he wrote “God Bless America,” which became famous through the iconic recording by Kate Smith.

Born Israel Beilin, the son of a cantor from Siberia, Berlin also gave America the most famous Christmas song of all time: “White Christmas.” He wrote it in 1940, and it soon became the best-selling song in American history. A Jewish immigrant who fled antisemitic violence in Russia, Berlin composed the Christmas song that helped set the soundtrack for the holiday for generations.

But Irving Berlin was just the beginning.

The list of Jewish composers who created the timeless songs of Christmas reads like a Who’s Who of the Great American Songbook.

Here are just a few:

• Mel Tormé (“The Christmas Song – Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”)
• Sammy Cahn & Jule Styne (“Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”)
• Johnny Marks, another MOT, established the St. Nicholas Music Company in the 1940s and wrote some of the most popular Christmas songs, including “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” and “A Holly Jolly Christmas.”
• Jay Livingston & Ray Evans (“Silver Bells”)

And there are more. Many more.

One may wonder: Why have so many Jews contributed to the music of the most widely celebrated holiday? In a wonderful article by Dr. Yvette Alt Miller, she quotes the Dutch Jewish composer Stephen Emmer, who wrote his own Christmas song, “Sleep for England.” He explains: “It is in the DNA of Jews to write melancholy music, and also to ingratiate themselves in a world in which they are outsiders, at a time of the year when people are feeling especially patriotic and rooted in the idea of home.”

Contributing to the music of the country’s biggest holiday became a unique act of patriotism and cultural integration. The result? A distinctly American phenomenon: Jewish composers and musicians defining how a nation hears Christmas.

And Now…My Hanukkah Twist on a Christmas Classic

If Christmas can proudly feature songs written by Jews, then surely a Jew can offer a playful, heartfelt rendition of a Christmas classic, reimagined for Hanukkah.

I chose “Do You Hear What I Hear?” — written in 1962 by Noël Regney and his wife Gloria Shayne Baker. More than 100 versions have been recorded, including performances by Perry Como, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Destiny’s Child, and Robert Goulet.

I’ve reworked it into a warm and spirited Hanukkah song. It’s not Irving Berlin, Sammy Cahn, or Jule Styne — just my own take, pairing a beautiful melody with lyrics that celebrate light, hope, and joy as we observe the Festival of Lights. God knows we need more light, hope, and joy in this chaotic, troubled world.

To those celebrating Christmas, may your holiday be merry and bright!

And to my Jewish family and friends, Happy Chanukah!

Take a moment to hear my Hanukkah adaptation on YouTube below: