Christmas and Hanukkah Come Together at the Borscht Belt Museum

This Sunday, Dec. 21, the Borscht Belt Museum is inviting the community to celebrate the holiday season with a program that blends music, history, and tradition, bringing Christmas and Hanukkah together under one roof.

The Christmas–Hanukkah Holiday Mashup runs from 4 to 6 p.m. on the penultimate night of Hanukkah. The event is part concert, part history lesson, featuring music by Larry Bush and Susan Griss of the Starlight Duo, along with stories behind some of the most familiar holiday songs in American culture.

Many of those well-known tunes, including White Christmas and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, were written by Jewish composers — a fact that often surprises people.

“The idea really grew out of a conversation,” said Andrew Jacobs, Board President of the Borscht Belt Museum. After the Starlight Duo performed at the museum earlier this year, he and Bush began talking about holidays and music. “Larry told me about the history of Christmas music and how many of the most endearing and famous songs were written by Jews. I thought that would make a great concert and event.”

Jacobs said the program also serves as a way to kick off the museum’s winter season. After recently installing heat in the historic building, the museum can now remain open year-round.

“This felt like a great way to welcome people in during the winter and bring the community together,” he said.

For Bush, the music itself tells a deeper story about American history. Much of the Great American Songbook — music from the 1930s through the 1950s — was written by Jewish composers working in New York’s Tin Pan Alley and on Broadway.

“That music emerged primarily from African American composers and Jewish composers,” Bush said. “These songs became enduring standards because they’re full of feeling, romantic lyrics, and beautiful melodies.”

Bush noted that many composers changed their names during that era, often to avoid antisemitism, which may be one reason their influence isn’t always widely recognized today. Still, their work helped shape American popular music for generations.

During Sunday’s program, the Starlight Duo will perform selected classics while offering short stories about the composers and their broader body of work. The concert will include just two traditional Christmas songs — White Christmas and The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) — alongside other standards from the era.

The event will also include a menorah lighting and light refreshments, including latkes and eggnog. Jacobs said the goal is to create a warm, welcoming space for people of all backgrounds.

“In a time when the days are short and things can feel heavy, this is really about coming together as a community and celebrating light,” he said.

The Christmas–Hanukkah Holiday Mashup takes place Sunday, Dec. 21, from 4 to 6 p.m., at the Borscht Belt Museum, 90 Canal Street in Ellenville. All are welcome, with a suggested donation of $15.