There is no consensus on the appropriate time to consume Christmas music. Some start with the first leaves of fall. Others hold out until the Thanksgiving table is cleared. Others ignore the dulcet tones of Andy Williams and Burl Ives altogether. Regardless of your stance, the documentary Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas will appeal to everyone.
Between the 1920s up into the 1950s, the majority of Christmas music was composed by people who wouldn’t even celebrate the holiday: Jewish songwriters. Classic holiday staples like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Have A Holly Jolly Christmas," and "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" were all created by Jewish composers. How did this happen? How did they get involved with inventing such Christmas classics?
Director Larry Weinstein dives in and makes it personal: most of the film occurs where he, a Jew, would spend the holiday: at a Chinese restaurant. (Many would correctly assume this is also an homage to A Christmas Story). He interviews musicologist Rob Bowman and music buffs like Mark Breslin and Robert Harris. Weinstein soon discovers that these composers were obsessed with American ideals. It didn’t matter they didn’t share the religious beliefs of those who’d be enjoying these tunes. Breslin sums it up well: “…the Gentiles are very good with the prettiness of their holiday…our holidays just don’t cut it.”
Jewish comedian Jackie Mason and celebrity lawyer Alan Dershowitz (yes that Alan Dershowitz) also appear. And it wouldn’t be a documentary about Christmas songs without…well, Christmas songs. Kevin Breit, Aviva Chernick, Steven Page, Tom Wilson, and many others perform some of these staples. Whether you’re humming Christmas tunes in October or you’re more of a curmudgeon, there’s a lot to like here. The educational documentary would work well in academic libraries for students studying Jewish or music history. If you are a professor at a music conservatory, consider this title for your classroom.