Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas

White Christmas,’ “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and “Do You Hear What I Hear” are all songs that have become synonymous with Christmas, and they were also all written by Jewish composers.

Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas, airing Sunday, December 18 at 2:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV, examines the Jewish immigrants who penned many seminal Christmas classics, irreverently told through the perspective of one Jewish boy’s experience during the holiday season. 

Notable Jewish songwriters of the 20th century - including Irving Berlin, Mel Tormé, and Gloria Shayne Baker - were immigrants enamored with Hollywood and Broadway, wrote some of the most popular songs in America. Their stories are brought to life through rarely seen archival footage, musical performances, and interviews with musicians, comedians, and journalists. Participants include ethnomusicologist Rob Bowman; composer Rob Kapilow; attorney Alan Dershowitz; comedians Mark Breslin, Jackie Mason, Lisa Geduldig, and Ophira Eisenberg; and the director of the Jewish Museum of Frankfurt, Mirjam Wenzel.