Take Superman, for instance. Although Clark
“[The comic] also mirrors the situation that many real-life Jews back in the late ’30s when Superman first came out. The life of Jews in the old country in
Or, consider Spiderman, whose creator Stan Lee told Rabbi Simcha that he drew great inspiration from Hebrew king, David. In a story from the Torah, an adolescent David seeks refuge in a cave after being attacked. A spider climbs over the cave and spins a web over the opening to hide David from his attackers.
“Spiderman has been always been my personal favorite superhero because Spiderman has this very Jewish dichotomy,” said Rabbi Simcha. “On the one hand, he can fly through
According to Rabbi Simcha, many early comic book creators were Jewish because of the anti-Semitism of the early 20th century. Since artistically gifted Jews often were not afforded many education or employment opportunities, they turned to a new industry that welcomed them – comics. These early creators were careful not to make the Jewish roots of their characters too obvious because of their desire to assimilate into American culture.
Also on the show: Bishop John Shelby Spong, author of Jesus for the Non-Religious, Ryan Valentine, Faith Network Director for the Texas Freedom Network.