A PARTY POLITICAL BROADCAST ON BEHALF OF SIMON SCHAMA.

The author has been following the Simon Schama TV series, 'The story of the Jews'. Overall it certainly comes over as a comprehensive production. Unfortunately, as with most socialists, he had to, what folk such as myself would say, 'wet the bed', metaphorically speaking. I had hoped that he would get around to New York Jewry, and my favourite subject/hobby, 'proper songs'; following in the footsteps of Jerome Kern, German Jew, the father/architect of the standard song, telling a story in 32 bars, and the creator of the first 'Book Musical', 'Show Boat'. Schama adroitly sidestepped Kern, mentioning Irving Berlin, the Gershwin Bros. and highlighting lyricist, Yip Harburg, certainly a talent in his own right. The latter co-wrote 'Finian's Rainbow', along with composer Burton Lane (Levy), producing a very Irish feel to a wonderful show. Harburg was also the lyricist for one of the great songs from the last century, 'Over the rainbow'(Arlen), although it was a colleague, Paul Francis Webster who came to his rescue with the word 'somewhere'. To his credit, Harburg gave Webster's children gifts at Christmas and birthdays as a thank you. More importantly, Harburg wrote the words to the song 'Brother can you spare a dime'(Gorney), which became the anthem for the Democratic Party during the thirties. Harburg was a socialist; this being Schama's main thrust. Neither was the name Richard Rodgers mentioned, he had Russian Jewish roots and went on to become the undisputed 'King of Broadway' The point being made, was that following the Russian pogroms of the late 19th, early 20th century, many survivors fled to New York. Schama taking the example of Yip Harburg, whose family's electrical business failed, due to the 1929 'Wall Street Crash'. Most are aware that serious left wing policies were the mainstay of these unfortunate immigrants, that's the reason, as identified by Clark Clifford, who then advised Harry Truman to court the Jewish vote; after all, the influence of Marx and Engels provide enough evidence.

What here is so obvious to the writer, is the fact that Schama did not mention Kern or Rodgers, probably because they came from more comfortable backgrounds, far from the madding socialist crowd.


PUBLIC BROADCASTING TO MAKE A PERSONAL POINT IS SHAMEFUL.