Teaching Team
Excuse Me Superman, are you Jewish?
What do you get when you collect all your favorite superheroes together in a room. Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, etc. Well, it depends on who you ask. You may notice that with the aforementioned you have a minyan, the required number of males to create a prayer service in a synagogue. What you may not know is that all of these superheroes were created by Jewish people of mostly Eastern European descent (but not with the intention of creating a minyan for our favorite superheroes).
Many of us grew up enthralled with comic books and the stories they told of the average person who is really the person that prevents evil from controlling the world. We may have even related to the stories they told; many of us possibly identifying ourselves with their situations.
The creators of such memorable characters mostly came mostly from well-to-do Jewish families of non-religious background who were, in some way or another, affected by the Great Depression. These families came to America to escape the various situations of persecution and the like in Europe. Many came seeking a better life and a golden future in the land of opportunity. However, once these families established themselves the Depression hit America. The children of these families found themselves having to support themselves or help support their family. During this era, though, it was difficult for Jews to find employment; this was simply due to the fact that they were Jews.
Therefore, many put their creative talents to use as writers of fictional stories of superhero characters.
The stories of these superheroes, in a way, tells the story of their creators. Each character faces hardship and has to overcome the struggles of being the guy who doesn’t fit in with the rest of society. But, when evil lurks, these heroes are the bearers of truth and thus teach us that there is still good in the world. They teach us that even with all the evil in the world, good will ultimately prevail.
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Visitor Feedback:
This made me think about the T-shirts that we had at the Wooden Podium. The Shin in the Superman diamond. LOL
Shalom,
Bill
Bill Beyer | August 1, 2007 10:43 PM
This post reminded me of the book "Up, Up, and Oy Vey!" by Rabbi Simcha Weinstein of interest. It is on my list of wants when resources permit and appears to be about what this post is talking about.
From Rabbi Simcha's website:
"Up, Up, and Oy Vey chronicles how Jewish history, culture, & values helped shape the early years of the comic book industry.
The early comic book creators were almost all Jewish, and as children of immigrants, they spent their lives trying to escape the second-class mentality which was forced on them by the outside world. Their fight for truth, justice, and the American Way is portrayed by the superheroes they created. The dual identity given to their creations mirrors their own desire to live two lives privately as a Jew, and publicly as an American.
Their creations are the descendants of a Jewish tradition littered with stories of super strength from Samson to the Golem of Prague. An increasing number of fans and amateur historians, obsessed with back-story "mythology," claim they've uncovered the secret "Jewish-ness" of the comic book characters. Superheroes, they claim, are usually outsiders; gifted yet misunderstood, and strangers in a strange land.
This book observes comic book superheroes through three different lenses historical, cultural, and biblical/spiritual. Utilizing a bibliographic and subjective methodology, the author (an ordained rabbi) charts how the superhero model has unconsciously tapped into the deepest core of Jewish spiritual understanding.
Both teenagers and adults, especially those that are history enthusiasts, pop culture fans, seekers of Jewish spirituality, new-age mysticism cohorts, and of course, comic book readers, will enjoy reading this exciting and inspiring account of the birth and mythical origins of the comic book."
Sounds interesting to say the least. You can find the book on Amazon or from Rabbi Simcha's website.
BrianS | August 5, 2007 2:14 AM