Tin Pan Monroe He coined the name, but he didn't keep the coins. ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR Q: I alreadYkilow, or can guess, at where some of the world's largest Jewish populations live, like Israel and the United States. But can you tell me about unusual places that remain home to Jewish communities? A: It's very interesting, as a matter of fact, to consider some of the places where you'll find Jews. Take Surinarae, a South Amer- lean country with a population of 450,000, about 200 of whom are Jewish. Here are some other statistics, from the 1996 American Jew- ish Yearbook, you might fmd surprising. WELCOME CANTORS ASSEMBLY DELEGATES TO THE TRI-STATE CONFERENCE! General Population Number Of Jews Country El Salvador 5,900,000 100 Ireland 3,600,000 1,300 Gibraltar 31,000 600 Belarus 10,300,000 35,000 Moldova 4,300,000 12,200 Poland 38,600,000 3,500 Armenia 3,700,000 100 Tajikstan 5,800,000 2,200 Hong Kong 6,000,000 1,000 India 930,600,000 4,400 61,300,000 14,000 125,200,000 1,000 Syria 14,700,000 800 South Korea 44,900,000 100 • Iraq TEMPLE ISRAEL'S SINGLES EXTENSION GROUP Invites Jewish Singles 50 and over to THE AUTUMN SWING Sunday, November 24, 1996 7:30 P.M. at Temple Israel - Herman Hall 5725 Walnut Lake Road, W. Bloomfield Dancing to the Music of Wally Duda Light refreshments - Bagels Non-Members $12.00 Members $9.00 For further information, call: 108 Barbara Ginsbury (810) 353-7261 Party Chairperson Mary Adler 356-0955 Incidentally, you're absolutely correct about where the largest Jew- ish communities live. According to the Yearbook , the top 15 cities, in order, are New York, Tel Aviv, Los Angeles, Jerusalem, Haifa, Miami- Ft Lauderdale, Paris, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, London, Buenos Aires, Washington, D.C., and Toronto. A Joint Distribution Committee volunteer, right, teaches Jewish boys in India how to use tefillin. Q: Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I seem to recall that a Jewish com- poser once wrote a song about a president who fathered an illegiti- mate child. Is that really the case and, if so, what's the story? A: It's certainly true, and the man behind the music — as well as the song itself — has quite an interesting tale. Monroe Rosenfeld was a 19th-century composer (of sorts) and a native of Virginia who worked as a journalist and press agent, among other occupations, before becoming a popular song- writer in New York. He first found fame in New York, however, among the city's bookies. Rosenfeld was a devot- ed gambler (a habit that would eventually lead to his downfall) who loved to hang out on Broad- way, which he nicknamed "Tin Pan Alley" in an article in the Herald Tribune. The name, of course, caught on quickly, as did Rosenfeld's reputation for writ- ing a snappy tune — or at least finding someone else who could write it for him. Rosenfeld was not exactly the boy next door. He was so des- perate to get his hands on mon- ey for gambling and betting that he often was in trouble with the law (like writing bad checks). Once, he was being chased by police and jumped out a second-story window. As a result, he broke his leg and spent the rest of his life limp- ing. Many of Rosenfeld's songs were popular in the late 1800s, though most have been forgotten today. Among these was "Ma! Ma! Where's My Pa!" which chronicled a real-life scandal involving Grover Cleveland. As a pres- idential candidate, Cleve- land admitted to having a child out of wedlock. When Cleveland won the election, Rosenfeld's song recounted the fate of the child's father who was "up in the White House ... making the laws, working the cause." Rosenfeld's real specialty, however, was maudlin songs — the more sappy and sen- timental the better. Typical of these was "Gold Will Buy Most Anything But A True Girl's Heart," a nauseating number about a rich man who wants to wed a girl in love with another. "I'd rather have my Jack than all your gold," she sings, "for gold will buy most anything but a true girl's heart." Oh, sob, sob. Often, Rosenfeld felt free to steal huge chunks of melodies from other composers to use in his musical master- pieces. Perhaps this is the reason for his decision to write most of his songs under pseudonyms; certainly it was not a reflection of his modesty, as Rosen- feld was more than happy to add his real name as a composer to oth- ers' songs, when often his con- tribution was minor, at best. Remarkably, Rosenfeld was well-liked by just about every- c' one who knew him. He died bankrupt after years of squan- dering his money. Send questions to Tell Me Why, The Jewish News, 27676 Franklin Road, Southfield, MI 48034, or fax to (810) 354-6069. All letters must be signed and in- clude the writer's address. Ques- tions answered in the column will feature only the writer's initials and city of residence.