When I first saw Carole King’s new Christmas album I realized (with some guilt in my heart) that I had to buy it. It was nice, sweet, and simple. This was a real Christmas album, not completely abrasive like Bob Dylan’s Christmas album. But it wasn’t horribly fake like Barbra Streisand’s (titled “Christmas Memories” – what memories? The nerve of that woman.) The difference is really between King’s style and Dylan and Streisand’s but is it not also between upbringings? There’s always a difference between when a Jew does Christmas music and when the goyim do Christmas music.
But we all love it so much! The Christmas spirit is infectious and spreads through Jewish hearts like it would anyone’s. Jesus, aside, it’s a fairly agreeable holiday. Presents, chestnuts, stockings, mint vodka, what’s not to like? When we Jews get our chance to play Christmas, we do it well because it taps into a feeling deeper than the desire to assimilate. It appeals to our desire to spread love – and have fun.
After listening to “Carole” I was pleasantly surprised by the track titled “Chanukah Prayer,” which is simply the Chanukah prayer put to song. It was soft and lovely (with children singing in the background), yet not corny. King even managed her “ch’s” well. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought she were a Jew.
Track 8 on King’s album is the famous Irving Berlin song “I’ve Got my Love to Keep me Warm.” Berlin was the son of a cantor and wrote some of Broadway’s most beloved musicals including “Annie Get your Gun” starring Ethel Merman and The Marx Brothers musical, “The Coconuts.” When he married Ellin Mackay, he was introduced to Catholic traditions and became versed in Christmas spirit, thus spawning the movie “White Christmas” directed by Michael Curtiz (“Casablanca”) and starring Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney and Danny Kaye. This well-loved, landmark musical movie was written by a Jew.
See what I mean? Don’t feel guilty, blast the Christmas radio. It’s all about spreading joy, Jew or goy.
