North Star with Ellin Bessner Mensch of Steel? Comic books are on the curriculum at this synagogue’s Sunday school
When Sunday Hebrew school classes begin on Oct. 5 at Toronto’s Beth Radom Congregation, the students won’t be punished for reading comic books in class. On the contrary: spiritual leader Cantor Jeremy Burko is bringing his extensive collection of over 550 Jewish superhero comics into the curriculum. It’s his (graphic) novel way to explore the messages of Jewish culture and resilience that he finds in the pop culture stories of beloved comic book characters with Jewish back stories or creators, like Superman, Batwoman, Sabra and Magneto. The idea came to Burko as a response to the growing international movement to boycott Jewish and Israeli culture after Oct. 7. He hopes these larger-than-life heroes and heroines can help families find strength and pride amid rising domestic antisemitism. He believes much can be learned from studying these historic Jewish characters and their creators, from Marvel’s The Golem to modern screen adaptations of The Thing in the new Fantastic Four movie, and Moon Knight, a Jewish hero who struggles with his identity. But, as Cantor Burko explains on today’s episode of The CJN’s North Star podcast, the heyday of Jewish representation in comic books may be behind us.
Related links
- Learn more about Beth Radom’s Hebrew school and the now-concluded 2025 winter edition of Cantor Jeremy Burko’s Jewish Superheroes course.
- Read more about when award-winning Canadian Jewish graphic artist Miriam Libicki was banned from exhibiting her work at a Vancouver Comic Fair as a result of anti-Israel boycotts, in The CJN.
- How a Jewish Heroes Corps. comic series was born, in The CJN.
Credits
- Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner)
- Production team: Zachary Kauffman (senior producer), Andrea Varsany (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer)
- Music: Bret Higgins
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