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Continued from last week:
The irony of their success is that their rise to fame and prominence came at a time when Jews were being discriminated against in both Europe and the United States. Indeed, the irony is even greater when you consider that these moguls oversaw an emerging industry that played a dominant role in promoting the so-called “American Dream.”
For those who are not aware, there is a related industry in which Jews played an important role- songwriting. Indeed, some of the most beloved American songs were written by Jewish immigrants.
For instance, Irving Berlin (Israel Belin), who was born in Russia, wrote White Christmas, God Bless America and over 1,500 other songs. Actually, many of the most famous Christmas songs were written by Jews. They include Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Christmas Song, Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Winter Wonderland, It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year and many more.
George Gershwin (Jacob Gershowitz) wrote Rhapsody in Blue, Porgy and Bess, American in Paris and numerous others.
Harold Arlen (Hyman Arluck) wrote the song Over the Rainbow, voted the greatest song of the 20th century by the Recording Industry Association of America. Sung by Judy Garland, it was the theme song for the iconic film The Wizard of Oz. It won the Academy Award. The song had a second life in 1993, when the late Israel Kamakawiwoʻole recorded it.
At the end of the day, it bears noting that some of the most discriminated men actually played highly influential roles in creating what became known as the American dream.
How About That Sign?
For trivia buffs, here’s a little history of the famous sign:
Originally built in 1923, the sign was an advertisement for a new housing development. Each wooden letter stood 50 feet tall. The sign became embedded in the identify of this Southern California locale until 1949. At that point, due to weather erosion, along with the fact that there was no need to promote it as a new housing development, the letters “L A N D” were dropped. Thus, as recognition of the city’s emerging status as the film capital of the world grew, “HOLLYWOOD” made of stronger material replaced the weather-worn “HOLLYWOODLAND.”
To this day, the famous sign continues to appear in advertising, TV shows and films.
Everything else is just history…
Blog: CA only requires $6,500 for Teachers. There Was Never More Money Coming.June 11, 2026 10:57 am
