This is what Jerome Kern had to say about the Jewish composer of "White Christmas", the best-selling recording of all time, who cranked out an endless stream of hits over the decades: "Irving Berlin has no place in American music. He is American music."
Day 489
Irving Berlin
May 2nd, 2013
From the Jewish Daily Forward:
http://forward.com/articles/121598/hebrews-for-the-holidays/
Famous Christmas Songs and Their Jewish Writers
“There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays” — co written by Al Stillman
“Winter Wonderland” — Felix Bernard
“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” — George Wyle
“White Christmas” — Irving Berlin
“Silver Bells” — Jay Livingston, Ray Evans
“We Need a Little Christmas” — Jerry Herman
“Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”; “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree”; “A Holly, Jolly Christmas” — Johnny Marks
“Christmas Love Song” — Marilyn Bergman, Alan Bergman, Johnny Mandel
“The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”) — Mel Tormé, Robert Wells
“Sleigh Ride” — Mitchell Parish
“Santa Baby” — Philip Springer, Joan Ellen Javits
“Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” — Sammy Cahn, Julie Styne
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” — Walter Kent, Buck Ram