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God Bless Irving Berlin!

JL;DR SUMMARY Irving Berlin, born Israel Isidore Beilin, was a Russian Jewish immigrant who became one of America's most celebrated songwriters, known for hits like "White Christmas" and "God Bless America." A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish ImmigrationJewish HeritageParodyAssimilationCultural IntegrationIrving BerlinTin Pan AlleyGod Bless AmericaWhite ChristmasAmerican Music

Places mentioned

Minsk, Belarus
"To some lovers of classical American song, it may seem paradoxical that the Tin Pan Alley genius who created such goyish holiday classics as White Christmas and Easter Parade was born Israel Isidore Beilin in Belarus, Russia, the son of a village cantor."
New York, United States
"After he and his family fled to New York to escape Cossack pogroms in 1893, the familys name was changed to Baline at Ellis Island."
Russian Federation
"To some lovers of classical American song, it may seem paradoxical that the Tin Pan Alley genius who created such goyish holiday classics as White Christmas and Easter Parade was born Israel Isidore Beilin in Belarus, Russia, the son of a village cantor."
Vietnam
"published by Knopf in 2001, includes Berlin-authored parody lyrics for his own songs, one of which is a 1969 effort that begins: God Bless America / Land I enjoy / No discussions with Russians / Till they stop sending arms to Hanoi."
Hanoi, Vietnam
"published by Knopf in 2001, includes Berlin-authored parody lyrics for his own songs, one of which is a 1969 effort that begins: God Bless America / Land I enjoy / No discussions with Russians / Till they stop sending arms to Hanoi."
Wrocław, Lower Silesia, Poland
"With European fascism growing a year later, the Polish Jewish violinist Bronisaw Huberman would indeed flee from his adopted home of Vienna Berlin prefigured a tragedy that many observers already saw as inevitable."
Vienna, Austria
"With European fascism growing a year later, the Polish Jewish violinist Bronisaw Huberman would indeed flee from his adopted home of Vienna Berlin prefigured a tragedy that many observers already saw as inevitable."

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Cairo Item ID 71821
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Retrieved 2026-01-03 05:31:14 UTC
Curated 2026-01-03 08:30:34 UTC