Jewish singers work it for Christmas

When you are a Jewish artist in the mainstream music world, sometimes you must bow to popular interest and record a few songs for those holidays your family back in the shtetl likely never celebrated. As a Jewish-Catholic audiophile with a rosemary Christmas tree and Bat Mitzvah-earned menorah, I give you (a very incomplete) list of Jews working it for the (Christmas) holiday:

*Neil Diamond: A Cherry Cherry Christmas, The Christmas Album, The Christmas Album, Vol. 2. – Oh Jewish Elvis, how could you?
*Barbara Streisand: A Christmas Album, Christmas Memories
*Bob Dylan: Christmas in the Heart
*Barry Manilow: In The Swing of Chrismas – meh, this one isn’t too much of a surprise
*Eddie Fisher- Christmas With Eddie Fisher
*Phil Spector: A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector – Yes, we can agree now that Spector is a terrifying and hair-raising villain. But there once was a time when his wall of sound electrified and emboldened rock and roll music fans across the land. Bummer. The Ronnettes singing “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” is genius.
* The Ramones – “Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)” off the Edge of Christmas compilation.
*Amy Winehouse - …album still in the works? Or kaput? Last year Rolling Stone reported that Winehouse was considering a Christmas/Chanukah split record for the holidays (with gems like “Kosher Kisses”) but perhaps it was scrapped?
* Irving Berlin – He wrote that iconic holiday ditty  “White Christmas,” so I feel like he probably deserves a shout-out in the entry.

And yes, dear readers — there are many, many more where those came from. Next up, major (gentile) recording artists who’ve created Chanukah albums. Wait, are there any?

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