For some, the idea that Superman belongs to Christianity seems obvious.
Many of the cinematic depictions of Superman are heavily laden with Messianic overtones andMan of Steelis certainly no exception.
However, is that definitive proof that Superman is a good Christian?
Comic book experts have long noted Supermans connections to Judaism.
This article seeks to highlight some of the arguments made by Jewish scholars and pop culture experts alike.
to make it begin the story, we must create our setting.
Between the 1880s and 1920s, over 2 million Eastern European Jewish immigrants settled in America.
This influx of Jewish immigrants were leaders in the early 20th century labor movement.
They brought with them a sense of social justice that was intricately tied with their Jewish identities.
And yet, America wasnt entirely safe for the new Jewish arrivals.
The world was ripe with Anti-Semitism and Jewish people were barred entry in many industries.
Jewish writers and artists created the American superhero.
Radio superstar Father Charles E. Coughlin of the pro-fascist Christian Front was one of the nations most powerful men.
1933 was a year that would change the comic world forever.
Two drastically different and seemingly unrelated events occurred on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
In Germany, a man named Adolf Hitler became the chancellor of Germany.
And forever their stories became intertwined.
Fate and destiny are apparently huge comic book fans.
Jamie Coville has written a great deal on the history of these two men.
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were born only four months apart from one another.
Both grew up in Jewish households and embedded in Jewish culture though neither were observant.
They ended up living within blocks of one another and attending the same high school.
However, the story of Superman doesnt begin until they were seventeen years old.
Their mutual love of science fiction led them to create what would become the Man of Steel.
Jerry Siegel said, What led me into creating Superman in the early thirties?
I had the great urge to help… help the downtrodden masses, somehow.
How could I help them when I could barely help myself?
Superman was the answer.
From his very beginning Superman was an outsider.
He came from somewhere else and, despite his best efforts, never quite fits in.
Superman had to take the name Clark Kent to make it pass as just a regular guy from Smallville.
And yet, even with these attempts, his otherness is always clear.
He simply cannot suppress who he is.
Instead he chooses to lead this double life.
He can be both Superman and Clark Kent.
This dual identity and status as outsider would not have been entirely foreign to Siegel and Shuster.
Jewish people in Europe often found themselves as outsiders within their countries.
This perceived otherness led to horrific acts of Anti-Semitism from individuals, institutions, and governments.
Many immigrants fled to America to have a better life, only to encounter additional discrimination.
If it wasnt their immigrant status, it was the actual practice of Judaism which marked them as outsiders.
Children of Jewish immigrants, like Siegel and Shuster, often found themselves juggling identities.
so that succeed in the United States, they knew they had to pass as Anglo-American.
And yet, their attempts to pass as Anglo-American separated them from their families.
Thats why were here.
But without our real identities, we cant do a thing.
And there are other parallels with Judaism and Jewish culture which are hardly coincidental.
Superman embodies many of the same values as Judaism.
In the most simplistic and iconic terms, he stands for truth, justice, and the American way.
Judaism has long embraced the same values.
These shared values are, again, unlikely to be a coincidence.
Early Judaism also emphasized civic loyalty, even when as Jewish people, they were outsiders.
Jewish-Americans were long at the forefront of social justice movements.
This continued into the 1930s when Siegel and Shuster were writing Superman.
Supermans costume was cut from that same cloth.
In other words, Superman fights on behalf of social justice.
He exemplifies the three pillars of Judaism.
Both were created to give people strength and hope.
Both were created to fight for justice.
And both were created in a time of crisis for the Jewish community.
Superman is Siegel and Shusters American Golem.
But Jewish influence doesnt end with broad ethical values or legends.
Many people have written about the parallels between Moses and Superman.
Both were born in times of crisis.
For Superman, he was born to a dying planet.
For Moses, he was in real danger of being killed by the pharaoh.
Both of their parents had to make unthinkable choices by sending their sons into the unknown.
Both relied on their faith in the kindness of strangers.
And in both cases, their faith paid off.
Both infants found a safe home with strangers who raised them as their own.
And in both cases, Moses and Superman were destined for heroic greatness.
They would both lead and inspire greatness in humanity.
So is Superman Jewish?
It is unlikely that Siegel and Shuster could have created an openly Jewish Superman even if they wanted to.
But the influence of Judaism on his creation shouldnt be ignored.
But the story doesnt end there.
But Jerry Siegel wasnt too concerned about the insults the Nazis through his way.
In fact, Siegel was proud of the fact that his creation ruffled some Nazi feathers.
Superman was created by two Jewish kids from Cleveland.
And thats exactly what Superman became.
Superman was strong enough to fight when they couldnt.
He could be powerful when they could not.
Moses stood up with the courage of a superhero against the pharaoh.
Esther saved them from the Persians using her wit and charm.
Rabbi Loew created life itself to protect his people from Anti-Semites.
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