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A Jew Sings Christmas Carols
I was touched by @qoumidan’s post on attending plays at Christmas time. It reminded me of the times I was in the school choir and we learned Christmas carols in preparation for the Christmas concert.
I love to sing. I have a fair voice and loved singing in the middle of a group of my friends in school. But Yuletide was always awkward, especially the first time we had a Christmas concert. I was probably around 10 years old. I wanted to sing and I wanted my parents to attend, of course. Only we were going to be singing Christmas songs; some were secular but some of them were clearly religious. I guess Jewish parents were supposed to be comforted by a Chanukah song like “I Have a Little Dreidel.”
I remember asking my mother to allow me to go, and I wanted her to attend (my father worked nights); her hesitation and discomfort were apparent, which on reflection was readily understandable. Should she allow me to participate? Should she attend? I don’t remember our discussion about the options, but I’m sure my only goal was clear: I wanted to sing these beautiful songs. Any religious message was lost to me in the beauty of the music.
So I sang. And she went. I never did ask her how she felt about it.
Published in General
Oy vey! Sevivon sov sov sov! If there is one thing I hate and despise in Israel is it the songs taught to kindergarten children — earworms, every one of them!!! Words only a three-year-old could love. And never, at any age, singing in harmony… You would never know there are so many excellent musicians and composers in this country if all you heard was school songs.
If it weren’t for the free Monday concerts at the university, I would go bonkers, but we’ve had some amazing performances this semester. Just the thing to break up your work day and enlighten the heart.
Of Christmas music, may we recall O Holy Night? Its composer was Adam (who wrote the music for the ballet Gisele, IIRC). Also, IIRC, the bishop of Paris forbade O Holy Night in church services because the composer was a Jew, but the music was so perennially popular that the bishop’s ruling was soon ignored.
And speaking of diversity at Christmas time: when that thief Arafat was alive, he was always present at the Christmas mass in Bethlehem, as were Israeli government representatives. Many Israeli Jews go to hear carols and I have known quite a few who attend midnight Mass at historic churches such as the Benedictine monastery at Abu Ghosh. I think it is more difficult (and less safe, certainly) now to go to the annual caroling in Bethlehem. The town has lost much of its Christian population, so much of the former spirit is lacking. A few years ago, the city decorations for Christmas featured posters of Arafat. On the other hand, there has recently been some impressive restoration work on the Church of the Nativity, which is considered one of the few authentic historical sites. Check your television schedule for the annual broadcast if interested.
Not my best moment, eh, Little My?! Yes, there have been some wonderful songs and pieces shared here. Thank you for the perspective in Israel, too. It’s too bad about Bethlehem. Even when I visited the town briefly on my first trip over 45 years ago, there was an odd feeling there . . . not an inviting one.
I caught a radio interview of the author Alice McDermott just last week and she said growing up in the 1950s on Long Island there were only Catholics and Jews. I don’t recall the exact phrase, but she said a Protestant was exotic…lol. That’s my experience too. I think I knew one Protestant the entire time of growing up in Brooklyn.
Edit: Except for African-Americans. I assume many of them were Protestant.
When my mother was in Bethlehem 58 years ago, Dec. 1959 she also found a feeling of being unwelcome. The whole atmosphere was so commercialized by the the Coptic Priest. She was studying in Israel, but she was allowed in as she was an American and an Ordained Christian Minister. No feelings of unity and no feelings of awe about the birth of Jesus, except from the crowd of tourist.
There are arrangements, though, where you can definitely hear something against “Hava Nagila”.
Something of my own experience.
http://allmyforeparents.blogspot.com/2012/12/christmas-in-palestine.html
Excellent article, Israel.
Well, the three year old, their mother, and their music teacher.
I’ll agree that children’s music may lack the sophistication and polish of more adult works and performances, but all of lacking is overruled in the presence of the spark and joy that a child freely shares.
Ditto!
Well at least you weren’t Twenty-nine! ;-) I still think it was lovely.
Tritto, IsraelP – my AMU friend! A wonderfully evocative and poignant piece.
@susanquinn: My understanding is that Chanukah is a rather minor Jewish holiday that only came into greater prominence due to its proximity of Christmas. If you could choose a Jewish holy day that you wish the world would understand and celebrate more deeply, what would it be?
Your comment about being anti-Catholic but not religious reminds me a bit of my own family, which, descendant from ex-Catholic Lutherans managed to inherit the passion of the converted (not being Catholic) without the religion (I came down with a pretty serious case of Christianity, but that makes me the odd one).
I have a little tune of ambiguous religiosity posted to the member feed right now as a present for y’all. It’s not exactly Palestrina, though that may overstate the case by way of understatement.
Pesach (Passover). Re-enacting the change from slavery to freedom, asserting a unique identity in service only to G-d. Understand that the future of our world does not rely on fate or fortune (or nature/nurture) but instead depends on our relationships and choices.
Oh…Of course. That should have been obvious to me. God’s great deliverance of His people.
As the Eucharist liturgy in many a church goes, “Christ our Passover is slain for us, therefore let us keep the feast.” So, more appropriation :-)
I must agree with @iwe below. Pesach is important for all the reasons he says. For me, it is an awesome statement about G-d’s power, about freedom, about resilience that applies not only to leaving Egypt, but today.
In order to give them an unmitigated burden, “be a light unto the nations of the world.” Some of us are doing our very best. Others, not so much.
Isaiah 42:6, 49:6, and 60:3
All of them, just saying…
Nanda, that is so sweet, and I know you are sincere. Thank you.
Ha! Fair enough. Joseph Telushkin book on Jewish literacy is a good place to start.
I’m happen to be reading that one right now! Along with Paul Johnson’s History of the Jews and the Quest for Authenticity on the work of R. Bunim. Too many books at one time!
I’ll toss in one: Shavuot (aka Shavuos). It takes place 50 days after Passover and commemorates the giving of Torah. The 53 day period including Passover and the second day of Shavuot are my favorite in the Jewish calendar, largely because of a daily count up to Shavuos that begins on the 2nd day of Passover. There is something very mystical and exciting about the count (much kabbalistic imagery and symbolism in it, too, if desired) and then, of course, the culmination. There is a tradition of studying Torah (and subjects about) all through the night. And cheesecake, but that’s another story.
Counting the Omer–this past year was my first time. It had the quality you described, @caryn.
@susanquinn you really need to come visit. Any time. Guest room is yours. I’ll even share my VERY good Israeli wine. Assuming you like it, of course. Else, lots of tea/coffee/cocoa/iced whatever if in summer…you get the picture?
I had a lovely Israeli wine, a cabernet, every night in Tel Aviv at the favorite restaurant I found. It was quite nice! So where do you live?
I’ve sent you an email reply. My favorite Israeli red is Psagot Edom. Absolute yum in a bottle. A cabernet-merlot blend and as smooth as silk, but full-bodied, and dark purple. Hmm…currently on sale, here.