Happy Easter and Happy Passover, Dear Readers. In honor of Spring, I thought I’d tell you a love story.
A true one.
About the man who wrote the song “Easter Parade.”
Mr. American Songbook- Irving Berlin.
You are all familiar, of course, with the man and his music.
You may not know the story of his love life.
Born to a Jewish family in Russia in 1888 and named Israel Baline, his family emigrated to New York City. To earn money, Izzie became a singing waiter of all things.
But more importantly, playing by ear, he started composing.
By 1911, his “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” became an international sensation.
In 1912 he married Dorothy Goetz, the sister of fellow songwriter E. Ray Goetz.
Tragically, she died six months later from the typhoid fever she contracted during their honeymoon in Cuba.
So sad.
And Irving stayed sad- and a widower- until he met beautiful Ellin Mackay in 1925.
She was a debutante- daughter of millionaire Clarence Mackay.
And she was Catholic.
The famous Jewish Songwriter and the Fancy Catholic Society Gal’s romance made headlines.
And her father’s outspoken, bigoted opposition to their match made even bigger ones.
But they married despite him, and lived -more or less- happily ever after for the next sixty-three years.
Stock Market Crash Sidebar: Although he had publicly declared that he would cut his daughter off without a cent if she ever married Irving, Clarence Mackay was the one cut off without a cent, when five years later, the Depression wiped out most of his stock market holdings. He was bailed out by his Jewish songwriter son-in-law.
I’m writing this today in the ecumenical spirit of tolerance. As many of you know, I’ve been married a few times. Some of the husbands were Jewish. Some of them were not.
I’ve attended temple in my early years and church in my later ones.
And much to my surprise, I found the differences between the two negligible.
The Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule were the dominant leit motifs in both places of worship.
“Peace on Earth” and “Love Thy Neighbor” were the focus of many a moving sermon- whether the text was in English, Hebrew or Latin.
Tolerance, peace and understanding. We could all use a little more.
So today, on behalf of Ellin and Izzie, I bid you all a very happy, healthy, wonderful Easter Parade.
Here’s Fred and Judy (and Irving) to wish you all Godspeed.
I became a Busby Berkeley fan long ago; In fact when Anne and I first started dating, we watched Busby Berkeley movies on TV Saturday nights. Although I have also long enjoyed the song “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (tangentially, I also really like Scott Joplin’s music), I have yet to see the movie, which we will now have to do sometime. I enjoyed the above clip, but it leaves me with a question that Alice Faye is about to answer as it ends: Why is it so much her song that she is angry over the band’s playing it?
You really gave this clip some thought, Jay. As I recall, it was “her” theme song, and Ty Power filched it without her permission. I think. I do know this movie also features a very young Ethel Merman and a wonderful score right out of Irving’s trunk. Do watch it sometime. And Happy Easter.
A wonderful thought and example, from a Jewish husband married to an Italian American Roman Catholic with 3 children who were all raised Jewish, ritually converted, B’Nai Mitzvahed (that doesn’t sound like a good use of English),but fully celebrated their Italian Catholic heritage with my beloved in-laws. Most particularly Christmas and Easter.
That was the basis of our decision as to how we would cross the religious gap between us. I signed up immediately. (And I mean immediately.) 35 years later, all three children are grown up, our oldest son and the one who most closely “feels” his Jewishness, is married to a wonderful Christian woman and as they are contemplating having children, they also plan to follow the way my wife and I handled it.
My middle daughter also identifies herself as very Jewish, culturally, but she seems to have this perfectly natural way of being with religions in her extended family, with an invisible shift that makes her a part of both.
My youngest, an absolutely sworn atheist, is entering her mid-20’s and is always surprising me. So that story is left to be experienced.
I argue with anyone who thinks this is a weakening or dissolving of the Jewish (or Roman Catholic) religions in America. My guess is that two generations from now, at a very old age, my wife and I will look back on a truly polyglot of 25 descendants, 1/3 Jewish, 1/3 Christian and another 1/3 that I am leaving room for time to sort out. There are some in our own religion who think this sounds the death knell of a vibrant and alive Judaism. They are probably the same ones who believe there will never be a true politically and economically “stand alone” Palestinian State. I think that thinking is upside down, naturally fueled by the horrible experiences of Jews in the Diaspora. All that’s needed is confidence in who you are and be lucky enough to find a wonderful mate to help you pass that feeling on to your progeny. God bless America and all those songs that Irving Berlin wrote, not only about holidays, but about love….most magnificently about love. It is a major part of the songtrack of my life. Thank you, Ellen,for making me think of these things as we get ready to join my in-laws for an Easter celebration.
Thank you, Scott, for this very personal take on today’s post. I so appreciate your point of view here today. Fear of the unknown breeds intolerance and hate. Awareness that we’re more alike than different is hopefully the first step to understanding our fellow men. You and your family get this. You treat everyone with kindness and respect. Tolerance, to me, is the name of the game. Have a wonderful holiday and thanks for ringing in today.
It is believed that Berlin was so grateful to America that writing “White Christmas” and “Easter Parade” was his way of thanking America’s Christian community for opening their arms to immigrating Jews.
And, are you aware that because of Berlin’s great patriotism, all the royalties from “God Bless America” were donated to The Girl and Boy Scouts of America?
Yes, I knew that. And he gave the royalties to “Always” to Ellin to prove to her old man that she’d always have her own money, too. A real gent. Thanks, Bernie.
Dear Ellen,
Belated Easter/ Passover greetings to you.
I did not know Irving’s love life but knew his “American Success” story as a Jewish immigrant.
Thank you for the brief history lesson and the message of tolerance.
Holly
PS: I love the bit that the Catholic Father-in-law had to be bailed out! Justice is sweet.
Thanks, Holly. Glad you approved. And yep, Karma can not be denied. And Happy Easter to you and yours.