[Dixielandjazz] Louis and The Star of David

[Stephen G Barbone]

>
> Rfoxbro at aol.com asked:
>
>
> A friend sent this to me. Can anyone vouch for its authenticity  
> (esp. the
> last sentence)?
>
> Bob Brodsky
> Secretary/Historian
> SBNOJC
> Redondo Beach, CA
>
>
> LOUIS
> Did you know that?
>
> "At the beginning of last century, in the emotional hotbed of
> New Orleans, a child slave of the ghetto was born of a prostitute
> mother  and ?missing? father.
>
> He somehow stumbled into the attention of a financially
> poor  but loving Russian Jewish immigrant family, the Karnofskys.
> This little  fellow, with an appreciative, magnetic personality,
> attached himself to  the father, to help him with his
> horse-and-wagon hauling business. The  Karnofskys loved the child,
> took him in for dinners, including Shabbat, and provided more
> than bed and shelter.
> They provided him with the love he needed, and his first musical
> instrument that led this confused, hungry youngster onto worldwide
> fame ? as a jazz performer, music innovator and worldwide ambassador
> for  humanity. Louis Armstrong proudly spoke fluent Yiddish, from
> his childhood  through his whole life, and always wore a Star of
> David around his neck."

Dear Bob:

Top see a picture of Louis in a relaxed mood, shirt open, smoking a  
joint and wearing the Star of David necklace,  see: http://www.jazzwax.com/2009/07/herb-snitzer.html

The text also explains that the Star of David was given to him by the  
Karnofsky family and claims that he was buried with the necklace in  
1971.

Many sources also say that he spoke Yiddish. To see them, google search:

Louis Armstrong + Yiddish?

His Biographers also include include the story about the Karnofsky  
family and how they befriended Louis when he was a child. And Louis  
himself describes his time working for the Karnofsky's, how well they  
treated him, and his lifelong admiration for Jewish people in the book  
"Louis Armstrong - In His Own Words - edited by Thomas Brothers.  
(Oxford University Press) It is a compilation/selection of Armstrong's  
own writings about his life.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband