The Hidden Pattern of Jewish History
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We all want to live in a world where goodness triumphs over evil.
With excitement building around James Gunn's new Superman movie, it’s the perfect time to reflect on how this iconic hero has always embodied a uniquely Jewish vision of justice, hope, and moral strength.
When I first encountered Superman as a child, I knew I wanted to be like him. Who wouldn’t want to fly, bend steel in your bare hands and “fight for truth, justice and the American way”? (Are we still allowed to call it “The American way”?) Every embodiment of Superman was one of greatness, sacrifice and heroism combined with a sense of humility and purpose of being.
I loved reading the adventures of Superman as he battled Lex Luthor, Brainiac and a host of other villains “whose every impulse of the heart was only evil all day long.” To this day my comic collection of close to 700 titles, primarily from the 60’s and 70’s (the so-called Silver Age of comics), sit patiently in plastic bags and boxes waiting for a new generation of youngsters to appreciate their beauty and message.
It is well documented that Superman’s creators – two Jewish lads from Cleveland, one originally from my hometown Toronto and who patterned the Daily Planet after the Toronto Star – took many cues from the Torah to create the story. The similarities between Superman’s origins, being sent as a baby in a rocket ship from his world of Krypton before it would be destroyed, parallels the story of Moses being sent down the Nile in a basket for his own protection as his world was falling apart from the slavery and the infanticide around him. Superman’s original name is Kal-El – bearing the Hebrew name of God, El, and perhaps even invoking God’s voice since the Hebrew word for voice is Kol. Hence Kal-El means God’s voice – which is indeed what Moshe became as God’s prophet, lawgiver and voice of truth justice and goodness.
The meaning behind Superman is one that so resonates in a Jewish soul because the message and mission is so similar to that of Judaism’s. As father, Jor-El tells his son in the movie Man of Steel:
"You will give the people of earth an ideal to strive towards.
They will race behind you, they will stumble they will fall.
But in time they will join you in the sun.
In time, you will help them accomplish wonders."
Is there anything more Jewish than the outsider, the alien, the one who does not fit in with the rest, the “nation that dwells alone” coming to earth and doing everything in its power to perfect that world and make it a better place? Judaism’s hallmark is to be a Light unto Nations that strives to teach mankind of the grace, beauty and holiness inherent in truth and justice. And while we still have a lot of work to do, Judaism has indeed taught much of mankind basic ideals such as liberty and freedom for all, do not murder, do not steal, take care of the orphan, widow and the less fortunate, might does not make right, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” “Justice, justice you shall pursue,” universal education and a host of other notions that our world still grapples to learn and live by.
And just as Superman must engage in force at times, its sole purpose is only to defeat evil so that there can ultimately be peace on earth, the same way the Jewish people only wish to take up arms as a last resort to restore a peaceful equilibrium.
Rabbi Noah Weinberg, the late founder of Aish, often said that deep down every person has a secret, innate desire and sense of responsibility to not only just make the world a better place, but to do everything in our power to make it whole and perfect. It was this self-same desire that two young Jewish men, living in an age when the evils of Nazism began to take hold and threaten the world, it was this deep Jewish stirring that gave birth and rise to Superman.
Superman has become an icon for generations because its message, rooted in Jewish aspirations and ideals, is such a basic and universal one: We do want to live in a world of goodness, truth, fair-play, and one where - despite the trials and tribulations and times when we seemingly are on the brink of destruction - Good triumphs over Evil.
All we have to do is understand our mission and remain dedicated to it every day with the same passion and consistency that Siegel and Shuster did when they created their hero. As Jonathan Kent, Clark Kent's adoptive father, said:
"I have to believe you were sent here for a reason
And even if it takes the rest of your life,
You owe it to yourself to find out what that reason is.”
Wow that's wonderful So true.
Great!
I just saw the film and it seemed to me that the central theme was a battle between a superior army of occupiers and a helpless region of brown people armed with sticks, etc. It was a little disturbing because it seemed to me the be copying the Gaza narrative promoted by the pro Palestinian crowd, but maybe I am too sensitive on the subject.
i have heard that opinion before. some people see a hidden political agenda and the director has stated it plainly in an interview. you are not mistaken.
My father went to school with the boys who created Superman. They shared their first versions with their classmates. My Dad said they were constantly getting in trouble by the teacher for drawing nonsense and wasting their time. Fortunately, they persevered and we all have been enriched by their creativeness.
I guess it makes all Jews super heroes and especially the IDF to fight our enemies, also a lot of comic books were written by Jews because of anti Jewish sentiment in the publishing companies, the only field open to Jews was creating comic books, and technically the Com- Con is really a Jewish exhibit because the Jews created the comic book field from securing their livelihoods
The Jewish writers that wrote the comic book "Superman" combined two biblical stories about Moses in the basket his mother made him to save him from Pharoah's degree, and the other one was Samson that fought the Philestines, and Superman's real name is in Hebrew, also the Nazis( may their name be erased) and Hitler( may his name be erased) knew Superman was Jewish even with his double identity
in cavalier and clay (the novel) I recall the reference to Superman and to the creation of the golem of Prague... a super strong human like creature who would save the Jewish community from blood libel.
That observation has been mentioned many times. As much as I also loved the novel of Cavalier & Clay, that idea of Superman being based on the Golem is not true.
There are also other “myths” of Superman that he is Jewish, but tries to acclimate himself as Clark Kent to fit into American society. Unfortunately, in the early 2000’s the Publishers of DC comics had offically stated that Superman is not meant to be a Jewish character, regardless of his cultural origins.
The persona of Clark Kent was modeled after silent film star Harold Lloyd, a seemly mild mannered fellow who you would never assume could preform such cinematic super human feats. (His action movie trademark). PS - contrary to popular rumor, Harold Lloyd was not Jewish either.
A wonderful and truthful comparison of us & Superman! We only need to be reminded that each of us, in our own unique way, have a Superman/woman in our soul.
I would very much like to know... *who* is the gorgeous model for this article's illustration of Superman?!! This is the only instance I have ever seen, where Superman is clearly depicted as one of us, and *not* as a needle-nosed Anglo interpretation of manly beauty.
And *what* an image this is for the article!!! My goodness!! Now if he were only real... sigh... (And I, thirty years younger! 😉 )
I just saw the movie, and that illustration is of the young man who is the star of the film, David Corenswet. That is in fact what he looks like, and apparently he is Jewish! A nice (and gorgeous) Jewish boy.
You don't say, Sandra Z!! Well, thank you for telling me.
And *now* I must see the film! And here I thought my days were long over, being intensely interested in comic book heros!! 😀
Just goes to show you that a beautifully symmetrical shayna punim will never fail to attract admirers! 😉
Superman's cape seems to me to be like a TALLIS !
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Some of our leaders seem to me, to take on the superman role
But now, I think we need more teamwork, rather than he-man solo heroics.
Most superheros might be Jewish, these comic books were written by Jews
Thor is not Jewish. He is a god from Norway. The Norse worshiped him, they had other gods, but he was the favorite. Nevetheless his respect and admiration for the non-god humans made him the favorite God because the other Gods were not so kind to humans.