Andrew Torba, an ultraconservative web commentator, turned on the radio a few weeks ago and discovered a secret war on Christmas.
Not the one fought by “libs” on the sides of Starbucks cups or in city buses’ destination displays reading “Happy Holidays,” but by Rudolph, Frosty and a few mostly deceased Jewish songwriters.
In a Nov. 21 episode of his “Parallel Christian Society Podcast,” Torba, founder of the alt-right social media platform Gab and co-author of “Christian Nationalism: A Biblical Guide For Taking Dominion and Discipling Nations,” expressed his dismay at learning that many popular Christmas songs were written by American Jews.
Drawing mainly from a review of “A Kosher Christmas” in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz dating to 2012, Torba recounted how many of the season’s most popular songs — “White Christmas,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Let it Snow” and “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” to name a few —were written by Jews.
Those songs, Torba claimed, were part of a conspiracy to kick Christ out of Christmas that turned a celebration of the birth of Jesus into a winter holiday with room for Jews. “Knowing this, how could you allow your household to be filled with this music?” Tobra asked his listeners.
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Torba’s suspicions were also raised when he found that, along with ruining Christmas, Jews in America celebrate Hanukkah and that American presidents have acknowledged that Jewish holiday.
“Wow, incredible, incredible, how this happened,” he said. “In a Christian nation, it takes this relatively minor Jewish holiday and turns it into this prominent holiday that is celebrated in our White House. Isn’t that something?”
Asked about his podcast, Torba cited the Haaretz article, which quoted the late American novelist Philip Roth describing “White Christmas” as a song that took Christ out of Christmas.
“People who hate and reject Jesus Christ, and whose faith and identity centers around that rejection, wrote subversive songs to ‘de-Christ’ Christmas,” he said in an email. “This is a problem and Christians deserve to know about it so they can adjust their listening habits during the Christmas season accordingly.”
Jonathan Sarna, professor of American Jewish history at Brandeis University, suggested Christian nationalists such as Torba might want to do a little reading about American history. Firstly, he pointed out, Christmas was not really a part of America’s founding. “The Puritans were opposed to Christmas,” Sarna said.
In 1659, leaders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony approved the “Penalty for Keeping Christmas,” which imposed fines on those who feasted or refused to work on the holiday. It wasn’t until German immigrants brought Santa Claus, Christmas trees and songs like “Silent Night” with them that Americans took up Christmas with gusto. (Christmas Day itself did not become a federal holiday until 1870.)
Sarna said that the songs written by Jewish songwriters fit into the American tradition of celebrating Christmas as a seasonal celebration, rather than a religious one. “They are more in the tradition of Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ than in the tradition of ‘Silent Night,’” he said.
Jonathan Karp, who teaches history and Jewish studies at Binghamton University, said there’s no conspiracy involved with the success of Jewish writers of Christmas carols. Jewish songsmiths such as Irving Berlin wrote Christmas songs thinking Americans’ popular performers wanted them.
Karp said many Jews worked in Tin Pan Alley, the collection of songwriters and publishers that flourished in midtown Manhattan from the late 1800s to the mid-1990s, as well as in the theaters and venues where live music was performed.
Before records came into fashion, those songwriters made their money from sales of sheet music, said Karp. One way to sell sheet music was to get popular entertainers to sing them. When the holidays rolled around, those entertainers needed Christmas songs to sing. So Jewish Tin Pan Alley songwriters wrote them.
Karp also suggested that songs like “White Christmas” were a way for Jewish songwriters to participate in Christmas — even though the religious holiday is not their own.
“I would even go as far as saying it’s about feeling the spirit of Christmas,” he said.
Writing Christmas carols isn’t the only way Jewish Americans played a role in holiday tradition. Albert Sadacca, whose Jewish family emigrated from Turkey, helped develop electric Christmas lights and helped found one of the largest Christmas light manufacturers in America.
Devin Naar, associate professor of Jewish studies at the University of Washington in Seattle, who has studied Sadacca’s part in popularizing Christmas lights, said that Christmas has become an icon of America almost as much as Uncle Sam or the Stars and Stripes. Even if they don’t celebrate Christmas, Jews have helped write this chapter of the American story.
Naar pointed to a Sephardic proverb found in the Ladino dialect spoken by Jewish immigrants from the Muslim world (like Sadacca), which translates, “Let me enter, and I’ll make a place for myself.”
Whether writing Christmas songs or creating Christmas tree lights, Jews found a way to show that they belonged in America, at a time when their fellow Americans viewed them with suspicion. In a 2022 essay for The Washington Post, Naar pointed out that Calvin Coolidge — the president who presided over the first lighting of the national Christmas tree — favored harsh immigration reforms.
“America must be kept American,” Coolidge said in his first address to the nation, a few weeks before that tree lighting. By American, Coolidge meant “white Christian people, preferably Protestants,” said Naar.
The following year, Coolidge signed legislation that barred Jews and non-Europeans from immigrating to the U.S.
In the following decades, Americans became more open to those who had once been outsiders, said Naar. The Christmas carols written by Jews helped make that happen. Yet American Jews remain ambivalent about holiday traditions such as Christmas trees.
After all, there’s no way to take Christianity out of the holiday. “At the end of the day, the name of the holiday is still Christmas,” said Naar.
If Torba’s defense of Christmas is neither particularly American nor particularly religious, his antisemitism is in keeping with the ideology he espouses, Christian nationalism.
Data from a 2020 national survey found a relationship between Christian nationalism — the idea that America belongs to Christians and that Christians should run the country — and antisemitism. The more that Americans believed in Christian nationalism, the more they supported antisemitic claims that Jews have too much power in America and around the world.
“It’s a function of what psychologists call a social dominance orientation,” said Paul Djupe, associate professor of political science at Denison University. “They think that there’s a rightful order of things and that Christians should be on top.”
Despite the anger of Christian nationalism, Sarna doubted that many people know the religion of Christmas carol writers. Or care what they believe.
Most people who sing Christmas carols, he said, just want to sing their favorites.
“‘White Christmas’ remains one of the most popular Christmas carols,” he said. “People think it comes from the time of Jesus — not from Irving Berlin.”
Bob Smietana is a national reporter for Religion News Service.
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23 Responses
Nothing says Christmas like anti-Semitism, conspiracy theories, and Christian nationalism . . . not.
Part 2:
https://www.grunge.com/286489/the-crazy-real-life-story-of-the-man-who-created-santa-claus/
There’s one illustration in particular that pretty much cemented Santa’s image as a jolly, rather round chap sporting a big white beard and with a preference for wearing red (that’s pictured here). But here’s the thing — it’s not just a guy that’s breaking into homes and dropping off toys. Thomas Nast used Santa to push a lot of propaganda — just take another look.
He’s not carrying a sack of toys. That’s a soldier’s backpack he’s got — along with other military imagery like a dress sword and an Army belt buckle. He’s also carrying a horse and a pocket watch that could be considered toys… so what gives?
“Thomas Nast really had a problem with one particular group:
When it comes to racial stereotypes, there was one 19th century group The Washington Post says were “associated with poverty, drunkenness, crime, and […] one more thing: terrorism.” What was this group? The Irish.
What was going on at the time was complicated, and Thomas Nast used his political clout to not only popularize the image of Irish immigrants as sub-human ape-man — like the one portrayed in his illustration “The Usual Irish Way of Doing Things.” That particular piece (pictured) shows an ape in human clothing”
CM, what do you personally mean by using the term “anti-semitism”? Thanks!
Kenly,
You have pushed Holocaust denial right here on Julie’s page more than once.
Don’t play cute about not knowing what anti-Semitism means. Own it proudly.
Brian, isn’t projecting a false motivation on my question about how Cec is personally using that “anti-Semite” term rather uncharitable? Wikipedia’s definition do not and should not equate reality for everyone. Who made them king of nomenclature?
You’ve done the same thing to me as he did to Torba – using one of their loaded/political phrases (holocaust denier) to summarize/critique my position (you know little details about), which ultimately attempts to dismiss my views as being uncharitable/unchristian, crazy/baseless conspiracy nonsense.
This has always been one of my concerns on this site – lovers of Jesus broad brushing others with worldly catch phrases to make them go away.
Have you ever heard the phrase “sacred cows make better burger”?
Irving Berlin also wrote “God Bless America” which has become something of an unofficial 2nd national anthem and quite popular with conservatives.
Christian Nationalism has become a form of aberrant theology at the least , thus turning U.S. Nationalism into an idol.
The suggestion that there is a Jewish conspiracy in composing music for the sole purpose of taking Christ out of Christmas is so ignorant and beyond stupid. We live in a post Christian era; increasing secularization has taken Christ out of the Christ mass, as evidenced by using “Happy Holidays” as a greeting nstead. In the name of ‘inclusion.” It is not the Jewish people who have created this, rather those of us whose ancestors shared Judeo-Christian values.
Pt 1 due to word restrictions:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1997/12/08/the-man-who-invented-santa-claus
19th century cartoonist Thomas Nast… Nast, the father of American cartooning, remains the greatest American imagemaker. An imagemaker is not always an artist. Even the best cartoons Nast produced, in the years from 1862 to 1886, when, as the staff artist of “Harper’s Weekly,” he was at once the country’s conscience and its comforter, tend to be inelegant messes, meant to be read rather than really seen. When he took up easel painting, toward the end of his life, what he painted was conventional and uninspired… Nast invented the Democratic Donkey, the Republican Elephant, the Tammany Tiger, and the American Boss, the capitalist with a bag of money for a brain. Above all, he was the man who invented Santa Claus, taking a minor Central European folk saint, dimly recalled from his German childhood, and turning him into the personification of American Materialism, coming down the chimney and shaking with joy…
“It wasn’t until German immigrants brought Santa Claus,…”
Germans celebrate St. Nicholas on December 6th, Christmas is about the “Christkind” or Christ child and is celebrated on December 24 or the Holy Eve. The holiday extends into December 25-26, or “Weinachten”.
Christmas icon actually has his roots in a real-life person—the Catholic figure of St. Nicholas
Gab is a nest of antisemitic vipers. We are becoming what Germany was in the 1930s. That should terrify all of us.
Germany didn’t turn because of political beliefs. They turned because they became disloyal to constitutional rule and permitted the deviation of checks and balances which resulted in singular power. If anything represents a threat today in America to turn the same, it is the abuse of executive orders and the bureaucratic statists ruling our lives without much congressional accountability. If it was purely beliefs, those threats have always existed.
Also, at Christmas time, people are always telling “the Nativity story” which is about a Jewish rather than an American family – and at least one popular version of it was written by a Jew called Matthew.
Thanks for this post Bob Smietana. until reading your article I was unaware of Andrew Torba. I’ve listened to the podcast your article discusses. Torba appears to carefully avoid outright antisemitism by “only” reading info from Jewish sources. If other readers also listen to the podcast I’d advise they listen to how often Torba uses the word “interesting” while reflecting on what he has just read. And pay attention to the tone of his voice.
I also listened to his more recent podcast about spiritual warfare. He presents as a Christian who is “over target” and therefore experiencing spiritual warfare (later expanded to persecution) for his “work.” Apparently he is loosing sleep while under attack for the views expressed about Xmas music.
As an aside, I picked up a strong scent of patriarchy where Torba places himself as the one who chooses the music he uses to disciple his young children.
He appears to have a basic understanding of the Bible and evangelical/fundamentalist verbage. As a Christian (anabaptist) I’d say he appears to have a very distorted view of the lordship of Jesus.
Again thanks for your post Bob.
I am thankful for Andrew Torba. Most anti-semites flirt around with it, slithering around with innuendos and subtle tropes.
But he just comes out full force with it. Full on Jew hate. We can see clearly and don’t have to wonder.
This is, by the way, not even in the top 20 most anti-semitic things he’s gone about. While this is good journalism, it does make me wonder why Bob Smietana chose to write about this Torba B-side.
I am sure Andrew Torba is a BFF of Nick Fuentes and other MAGA cultists too.
Andrew Torba isn’t really a “Christian fundamentalist”… he’s just an anti-Semitic neo-Nazi. The vast majority of the Christian right either can’t stand this guy or has never even heard of him because he is irrelevant.
For a moment there I thought I was reading a story on The Onion. And then I found out there are nut-heads out there who espouse this crazy stuff.
What is really sad and pitiful about this is that Rudolph was created as a marketing tool.
From Wikipedia:
May created Rudolph in 1939 as an assignment for Chicago-based Montgomery Ward. The retailer had been buying and giving away coloring books for Christmas every year and it was decided that creating their own book would save money. May considered naming the reindeer “Rollo” or “Reginald” before deciding upon using the name “Rudolph”.
IOW, it was done as a venture to make money in the American free enterprise and capitalist system. But then if you scratch a Christian Nationalist like Torba you will see a statist, fascist, and anti-capitalist right out of Il Duce’s Italy. I guess the bit about May doing this for an American retail company doesn’t come into play.
R’as ah Ghul,
Anything Christians celebrate that takes the focus off of God and Christ, is not following the commandments, and following their heart, which Jesus says is the root of all evil.
None of the songs mentioned bring glory to God, or HIS Son’s birth. Any other songs written not praising God, regardless of the authors religious beliefs, fall under the same category.
Jews, that do not believe in Jesus, have The Festival of Lights for their celebration.
That may be true, but that does not make it a plot to ruin Christmas (or take the focus off Christ) any more than the Christmas tree in your living room, the mistletoe, the yule log, etc. One could argue the celebrating on Christmas Day (Dec 25th) is syncretism given that Jesus was not born on that day and was likely taken from other pagan holidays/events.
Perhaps the Puritans were right. They did not celebrate Christmas at given its Catholic (and earlier, pagan origins).
“Perhaps the Puritans were right. They did not celebrate Christmas at given its Catholic (and earlier, pagan origins)”
If, as a Christian household, you (or your family) focus is on what is under the tree as a reward for following a magical elf, whose name is an anagram for Satan, and not the birth of Jesus, then they were right to separate.
“That may be true, but that does not make it a plot to ruin Christmas (or take the focus off Christ)…”
It is up to Christian to decide (under the free will God allows us) to choose what is pleasing to God, or what serves Satan. The individual is responsible for what they allow/celebrate in their houses/church, year round, not only during the Christmas season.
The word Santa may have the same letters as the word Satan, but it is not an intentional anagram. It’s a phonetic derivation of the Dutch term Sinterklaas, a character based on Saint Nicholas.
Mr. Torba, et al seem to forget that the celebration of Christmas is, quite literally, named after a life-long Jew.