"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" caused a stir at a New Hanover
County school. A parent complained about the song's religious
reference and got it pulled from her child's kindergarten
Christmas show at Murrayville Elementary School. The song was
pulled "because it had the word Christmas in it," said Rick
Holliday, assistant school superintendent. A Jewish mother, who
didn't want her name published, objected to what she called
"religious overtones" in the song. So the principal agreed to
pull it from the program.
Irony? "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was written by a
Jew, Johnny Marks, who also wrote "I Heard the Bells on
Christmas Day," "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," and "A Holly
Jolly Christmas." As Beckerman notes, Jewish songwriters also
wrote or co-wrote such holiday standards as:
"The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open
Fire)" -- Mel Torme and Bob Wells, both Jewish;
"Santa Claus is Coming to Town" -- co-written by J. Fred
Coots, Jewish;
"Silver Bells" -- Ray Evans and Jay Livingston, both Jewish;
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" -- co-written by
George Wyle, Jewish;
"Sleigh Ride" -- co-written by Mitchell Parish, Jewish;
"Let It Snow" -- Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne, both Jewish; and
"White Christmas" -- Irving Berlin, Jewish.
Of course, none of these songs is as important as the
original Jewish contribution to Christmas, but if the
"religious overtones" of Johnny Marks' innocuous song are enough
to shut down a kindergarten Christmas show, let's not risk an
ACLU lawsuit by mentioning that whole Bethlehem-and-the-manger
trip.
