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Superhero Superfan

The Jewish back story of Superman,
Spider-Man, X-Men and more.

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Dinner for Four

DINNER INCLUDES:

Four Glasses of Wine (21 yrs & older
Bread Basket • Side of Pasta
Choice of Soup or Salad
Choice of: Eggplant Parmigiana,
Whitefish Siciliana, Chicken Picante
Chicken Cremosi or Fettuccini Alfredo

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Suzanne Chessler

Special to the Jewish News

I

f you see comparisons between
Brandon Routh in the title role of
the new film Superman Returns
(opening nationwide June 28) and
the biblical Samson — then you have
something in common with rabbi and
author Simcha
Weinstein.
The New
York spiritual
leader, who
worked behind
the scenes in
film produc-
tion before
choosing
a religious
career, sees
lots of char-
acteristics
- shared by
heroes in the
Bible and superheroes introduced in
comic books. He spotlights his interpre-
tations in a new book, Up, Up, and Oy
Vey! How Jewish History Culture, and
Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero
(Leviathan Press; $19.95).
"I found that the early Superman was
put in a room and able to break away by
knocking over the pillars — very clearly
a nod to Samson," says Weinstein, 30,
who also writes about Batman, X-Men
and the other science-fiction champions.
"Superman's journey [from Krypton
to Earth] closely reflects the story of
Moses."
Weinstein, who divides his book
according to specific characters, explains
that Superman's qualities and high-
minded pursuits relate directly to Ethics
of the Fathers, a section in the Mishnah
that deals with morality. Superman's
•
pursuit of "truth, justice and the
American way" derive from the eleva-
tion of the pursuit of "justice, truth and
peace" in the ancient text.
The author discusses the back-
grounds of the Jewish writers who
created superhero adventures in times
when the world was looking for strong
figures to destroy the Nazis. Jerry Siegel
and Joe Shuster, neighbors in Cleveland
who came up with the Superman idea,
found a stronghold in comics when

anti-Semitism put up barriers to other
literary outlets.
The book also references Sam Raimi,
the Jewish former Detroiter who directs
the Spider-Man films, and lists Michigan
State University among universities with
extensive comic-book collections.
"Working on this book gave me a
chance to synthesize my love of popular
culture, heroes and superheroes with my
love of Judaism ; ) says Weinstein, who has
been a fan of this genre since childhood
and became a location scout for films.
"For a long time, I was struggling. I was
involved in the film industry and then
got more involved with my Jewish heri-
tage. I went to Israel and became a rabbi
and community outreach leader."
Weinstein, raised in England and
relocated to the United States, found
work as the rabbi for the Pratt Institute
and the Long Island College Hospital. He
came up with the idea for the book after
giving a lecture at an all-night event pre-
ceding the observance of Shavuot.
"I went back to archived comics and
looked at the originals. My premise was
that if the creators were Jewish, then it
would be possible for me to find some
Jewish symbols or messages in what
they wrote.
"I tried to find out which of these cre-
ators were alive, and I interviewed them.
I also worked with professors at Pratt,
where there are comic book historians
and experts, and with Steven Bergson,
who probably has the largest online bib-
liography of comics with Jewish refer-
ences. I looked at the history of America
as the comics evolved, and I looked at
biblical archetypes, which no one had
done":
Weinstein's commitment to his book
involved looking at superheroes from
three angles: cultural, historical and
spiritual. "I genuinely feel a love for
superhero characters ; ) he says. "When
I'm walking around Manhattan, I like
to look up at the buildings and imagine
that Batman and Spider-Man are lurking
behind them. I have it in my head that
they're watching and protecting us." Li

Superman Returns opens Wednesday,
June 28, in area theaters. There will be
some screenings 10 p.m. Tuesday, June
27. Check your local theater listings.

Exp. 7/31/06

KID'S MENU

HOURS: TUES. - SUN. LUNCH & DINNEit

FARMINGTON HILLS

CLINTON TWP.

30005 Orchard Lake Rd.

(586) 263-5353

Between 13 & 14 Mile

(248) 932-9999

SHELBY TWP.

(586) 731-6161

4S4

ar

J

Announcing
our NEW
casual dining menu:

+ 010y,

• Jeremy Char-Grilled Burger
• Grilled Chicken Sandwich
• Chipolte Barbecued Duck Quesadilla
• Grilled Salmon Salad

OUTDOOR PATIO NOW OPEN!

JEREMY

Resttlumat &

Bar

(248) 681-2124 • 1978 Cass Lake Rd. • Keego Harbor

Dinner: Tuesday-Saturday 5:30-10pm • Sunday 5:30-9pm
• Weekend Reservations Suggested •

Bring in this ad for a complimentary appetizer
when you join us for dinner
Sunday - Friday

*Limit one per table • Not redeemable on holidays • Expires 7/7/06

110773-0

June 22 2006

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