No Gelt, No Glory

While they aren’t as transformative as the Kabbalah or as lucrative as a lottery win, I’m uniquely qualified to reveal to you another very powerful secret of the universe: the Upside Down Dreidel Spin.

This is the bubbie of all spins, but in the spirit of Chanukah, remember: just as the oil in the temple burned for eight days, a great dreidel player must cultivate patience and perseverance in order to master this move.

Step 1

Despite what the song says, most dreidels aren’t “made out of clay.” That’s the good news, because when it comes to dreidels, materials matter.

Start with a good quality dreidel, not one of the cheap plastic ones. The ideal dreidel is made of wood and measure about 1-inch square.

Here’s the key: make sure the very top of the handle is smooth, without any nicks or cracks.

Step 2

You also need a hard, smooth surface to spin on. Based on my extensive experience, I highly recommend the underside of a challah board.

Now, grip the dreidel’s handle between your index finger and thumb, with your palm facing upwards. The back of your hand should be no more than 6-inches above the spinning surface.

Step 3

Spin the dreidel with a snap of your thumb and index finger as you normally would — but release the dreidel with a gentle upward toss.

Step 4

Watch the amazed and impressed expressions on the faces of your family and friends.

Because at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. The very shape of the dreidel is a metaphor: when all its square, chunky contours spin, the dreidel looks round and smooth.

And just as the circle has no top and bottom and all its points are equivalent, so too is the family. When we come together in a circle of embrace, each member is equally important.

However, that doesn’t stop me from wanting to outdo them all with my Upside Down Dreidel Spin. I’d better start practicing now if I want to be ready for Chanukah.

Simcha Weinstein is an internationally known best-selling author. His first book, Up, Up and Oy Vey! received the Benjamin Franklin Award for the best book of 2007. He has appeared on CNN “Showbiz Tonight,” and NPR, and has been profiled in leading publications including The New York Times, The Miami Herald and the London Guardian. He is a regular contributor to the Jerusalem Post and Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA). He chairs the Religious Affairs Committee at the renowned New York art school, Pratt Institute. His latest book Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st century (Barricade Books: 2008) is on sale now.

As Doc Samson discovered, being a teacher isn’t easy. And teachers are today’s real heroes. They remind us that the great people of our past, like the Maccabees, did remarkable things and won amazing victories while armed with little more than their faith. If they could do it, imagine what we can accomplish. Even without long green hair and red spandex tights.

We don’t celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday in my native country of England, and can you blame us? Imagine gathering around plates of mushy peas to express your gratitude for another year of record rainfall.

Being new around here, I looked up the history of Thanksgiving and now I’m more confused than ever. Those Pilgrims and their native neighbors first gathered around the table in 1565, in the month of September. Now that makes sense: celebrating a harvest festival during harvest time. (That’s what they still do up in Canada, by the way; their Thanksgiving always falls on the second Monday in October. This year that was also the first night of Sukkot, so that must have made it extra special.)

But November? Did someone just figure we all needed a party between Halloween and Christmas & Hanukkah?

Don’t get me wrong: it’s not because Thanksgiving seems so “goyish,” thanks to all those indelible Norman Rockwell paintings. I think goyish is great; being a child of American culture, I’ve written extensively on its many virtues. a norman rockwell thanksgiving And let’s face it: American Jews have much to be thankful for. We enjoy security, civil rights and material success here in the U.S. that we only dreamed of in other nations throughout history.

But I find Christmas more, well, exciting. No, I don’t celebrate it, but my father owned a toy store, so the holiday holds special memories for me. (And this year, December 25 also happens to be my wife’s due date. Please: no manger jokes.)

These days, Thanksgiving marks the official start of the Christmas shopping season, and maybe that’s why it leaves me with mixed feelings. Given the current economic downturn, it seems bizarre to see people shivering in sleeping bags outside the nearest big box store, just to buy their kids latest plasma gadget for a few dollars off. That’s a scary combination of guilt and gelt. Especially since that cool, must-have, “state of the art” thingamajig will be obsolete right after New Years.

Furthermore, who the heck stuck Thanksgiving a mere 24 hours from Shabbat? That’s like having back-to-back Thanksgivings, and I should know. For the last few years, my family and I have celebrated the holiday with special guests: students at the Pratt Institute where I work. The two special days have many similarities, as my non-Jewish students have often pointed out.

Distinguished theologian Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote in his beautiful book, “The Sabbath,” that the very essence of the Jewish people is summed up in that prayerful weekly gathering. Shabbat truly is a day of thanksgiving, with its focus on faith, family and friends. The difference is, we gather around the table to prayer instead of around the TV set to watch football game after football game, or another “CSI” marathon. Shabbat means no radio or telephone or internet, never mind no plasma doohickeys from WalMart.

Look, I’m no Grinch. My blessings on everyone tucking in to a delicious turkey this Thursday (as long as it’s kosher!)

But don’t forget, 24 hours later, to sit down with at least the same reverence for your bowl of matzo ball soup.

As an Englishman living in New York — the world’s unofficial capital city — I’ve been inspired by the passion and excitement I’ve witnessed, as fans of all nationalities gather in the bars of Brooklyn to celebrate “the beautiful game.”

I’d hoped this would be England’s year. After all, I am a man of faith. Yet when England was knocked out, I was well prepared. Partly because I’m a faithful supporter of Manchester City, a team that has yet to win so much as an eggcup since the year I was born.

So yes, I know the meaning of pain. In fact, I was a season ticket holder for many years. Then when Manchester City was demoted to the old second division, I was motivated to rip up that season ticket and enter rabbinical school. (Well, several life changing trips to Israel helped, too).

As luck would have it, my beloved City has now grown into one of the world’s richest clubs, and is in the running for some major silverware next season. I don’t know if my tantrum had any effect on that.

But I was happy to trade my season ticket for a siddur after I began to notice how today’s fans idolize their football heroes. Perhaps because of our sedentary careers and routine lives, many of us live vicariously through professional athletes. Their success becomes our success, and their failures become our failures. Should David Beckham’s injured knee really result in a national day of morning? Where are our priorities? The great Bill Shankly got it wrong: football is not more serious than life and death.

Saturday afternoon is a perfect time for faith, family and friends. We should be relaxing on the pews of the shul, not in the terraces.

Don’t think I’m bashing the beautiful game; after all, once Shabbat over, I still run to check the scores.

In fact, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, noted that football is a powerful metaphor for life.

The objective of the beautiful game is to kick a ball into a “goal.” It sounds easy, but we all have opponents to face, and our true potential is only awakened by challenge and adversity.

In his enlightening and entertaining book “How Football Explains The World,” American fan Franklin Foer uses football anecdotes to explain how the world at large works.

He notes that every four years, we see globalization made manifest in the World Cup. During this communal event, the world is united. Nations may be battling other nations, but they are doing so without weapons – and all are united by their passion for the game itself.

The most important thing to remember is that, win or lose, it’s just a game, and a funny old one at that!

Simcha Weinstein is an internationally known, best-selling author. His first book Up, Up and Oy Vey!, received the Benjamin Franklin Award for the best book of 2007. He has appeared on CNN Showbiz Tonight and NPR, and has been profiled in leading publications, including The New York Times, The Miami Herald and The London Guardian. He is a regular contributor to The Jerusalem Post and The Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), and other publications. He chairs the Religious Affairs Committee at the renowned New York art school, Pratt Institute. His latest book Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st century (Barricade Books: 2008) is out now.

English naturalist Charles Darwin struggles to find a balance between his revolutionary theories on evolution and the relationship with religious wife, whose faith contradicts his work

The zookeeper looked high and low, and after a long search, he finally found the monkey sitting in the public library.

His mixed-up looking monkey was holding a Bible in one (opposably-thumbed) hand, and Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” in the other.

“I’m confused,” the monkey told the zookeeper. “Am I my brother’s keeper – or my keeper’s brother?”

You ll forgive a rabbi for starting off with a little joke. (“Very little,” I can hear some of you saying.) What can I tell you? It’s a hazard of the job.

But for a rabbi like me, the subject of evolution is no joke.

And as an Englishman now living in New York, I can assure you: the topic is never far from the surface here in America. This is the country where atheists “celebrate” Christmas by trying to get “Silent Night” silenced from school pageants, then furious Christians respond with unchristian fury – and we Jews get blamed for it all!

I kid! Again. (Mostly.)

But yes, in the United States, the fallout from the famous Scopes “Monkey” Trial — which pitted evolutionists against creationists — is still in the air.

So I’m not surprised that the producer of a new British movie about Charles Darwin is blaming “religious American audiences” because his film, “Creation,” can’t get a distribution deal across the pond.

“Creation” stars Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connolly as Charles Darwin and his devout wife, Emma. The film depicts events leading up to the publication of Darwin’s world changing book.

In particular, the death of Darwin’s ten-year-old daughter, Anna, caused him to question his Christian faith and paved the way for his theory of evolution and natural selection.

No sooner had the London Daily Mail trumpeted the producer’s claim that right wing Christ ians were trying to ban his movie, than Twitter and Facebook lit up like (soon to be banned) Christmas trees, with calls to defend “Creation” against those redneck censors.

The trouble is: a reporter from New York Magazine (hardly an ally of the fundamentalists) couldn’t find any actual film distributors to confirm the producer’s tales of persecution.

The reporter then ventured another guess at the cause of the movie’s misfortunes:

“Maybe the movie’s just not that good? And a money loser to boot?” mused Dan Kois, quoting one critic as calling it “Flat, dull, and painful to sit through.”

So while American Christians have indeed tried to ban “offensive” movies in the past, this time they don’t seem to care enough about “Creation” to bother.

Frankly, until I read in the Daily Mail about this “controversy” allegedly sweeping America, I hadn’t heard a thing about it.

This doesn’t mean I don’t care about the topic of evolution. I’d just rather argue about real theories and real science, not imaginary controversies surrounding forgettable movies.

Don’t get me wrong: without the brilliance and hard work of scientists in every field, our world would be a poorer place. I admire their ingenuity and dedication. Heck, I admire the fact that they’ve mastered mathematics, because I sure couldn’t!

I only wish evolutionary scientists could admit that they are no more objective about their field as I am of mine. Scientists claim to be motivated by reason, logic and facts – but Darwin himself was clearly influenced by tragic events in his own life, and the feelings these events engendered.

Would the theory of natural selection have ever “evolved” if Darwin’s daughter had lived? We can only speculate – except that lots of “free thinking” scientists wish we wouldn’t.

Evolution says that a dumb universe can create intelligent beings. But we read in Genesis that our intelligent universe just looks dumb – it is smarter than we can perceive.

That’s not to say we human beings aren’t dumb: if you want to see how badly natural selection works, just watch some reality TV!

Some respectable Torah scholars have tried to align Judaism with evolution. Yet none of them can square the famous creation story in Genesis with Darwin’s theories, or their own.

Their error stems from the commonplace belief that evolution has been scientifically proven and therefore cannot be questioned. This is simply not the case. While Darwin’s theories were quickly embraced as handy (and sometimes sinister) metaphors by some artists, writers and philosophers – not to mention a famous dictator or two — they haven’t withstood more rigorous examination.

At bottom, we’re stuck with a handful of fossils, lots of speculation– and plenty of unanswered questions.

The human mind recoils at the prospect of having to say, “I don’t understand.” Any theory is better than none. As far as many moderns are concerned, even a half-baked theory is better than the alternative: religious faith.

Anyway, “Creation” co-star Jennifer Connelly is Jewish. In fact, she was raised here in Brooklyn Heights, where my synagogue resides. I would implore her not to waste this weekend worrying over her new movie’s disappointing performance at the box office. I invite her to come to shul for Rosh Hashanah instead. We may not have all the answers, but we do have something better than theories. We have faith.

Simcha Weinstein is an internationally known best-selling author. His first book, Up, Up and Oy Vey! received the Benjamin Franklin Award for the best book of 2007. He has appeared on CNN “Showbiz Tonight,” and NPR, and has been profiled in leading publications including The New York Times, The Miami Herald and the London Guardian. He is a regular contributor to the Jerusalem Post and Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA). He chairs the Religious Affairs Committee at the renowned New York art school, Pratt Institute. His latest book Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st century (Barricade Books: 2008) is on sale now.

On January 25, CBS aired the TV movie “Loving Leah.” This pleasant if forgettable Hallmark Hall of Fame production told the romantic tale of a secular Jewish doctor (what else?) who marries his Chabad-Chasidic sister-in-law, Leah, after the death of his brother, the rabbi (but of course!) 

 
Actress Susie Essman, who portrayed Leah’s overbearing bubbe, appeared on the talk show The View last week to promote the new movie. However, Essman spent much of her time berating the real-life Chasidic women she’d met during filming. 
 
View co-host Joy Behar asked Essman, CSo what did you learn about the Chasidic religion?” 
 
Essman replied, “They’re not very good dressers… Have you seen what these women look like half the time?” 
 
I was shocked for two reasons. 
 
First, I was personally offended by Susie Essman’s catty comments. My wife happens to be a Chabad-Chasidic woman. She is proud of it – and so am I. In fact, my wig wearing, modestly clad babe of a wife could easily teach Essman a few things about fashion and beauty. (At the risk of sounding as “dishy” as Essman, I seem to recall that the actress’ own good looks — or lack thereof — were the subject of considerable ribbing when she was on the dais of the Comedy Central Bob Saget Roast last year. When Cloris Leachman is joking about how much you look like a man, you’ve got problems!) 
 
Secondly, I found it ironic to hear Susie Essman stereotyping Jewish women. After all, she’s made a lucrative career portraying a shallow, status conscious Jewish wife. If that isn’t a cruel stereotype, then what is? 
 
Essman plays the foul-mouthed Susie Greene on the HBO series “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” As the wife of Larry David’s agent and best friend, Essman is a two-dimensional caricature: a sharp-tongued scold who always looks frumpy in spite of (or, more accurately, because of) her garish designer ensembles. 
 
Meanwhile, Larry’s wife Cheryl is the non-Jewish trophy wife par-excellence: beautiful, blonde, chic and supportive. It’s a familiar trope in Jewish comedy, in which Jewish girls are often portrayed as consolation prizes next to the characters’ gentile trophy wives. 
 
I should know: I wrote all about it in my new book, Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century. 
 
For instance, in Annie Hall (1977) Woody Allen’s character plays up the difference between his first two wives, both Jewish, and his new=2 0uber-WASP girlfriend Diane Keaton, who “looks like the wife of an astronaut.” 
 
In Keeping the Faith (2000), Ben Stiller plays Rabbi Schram, who is caught in a very unlikely romantic rivalry with his best childhood friend, a Catholic priest, over the affections of an Irish Catholic girl. (PS: the rabbi gets the girl. And that’s not a spoiler. It’s not as if there could be any other finale under the circumstances, is there?) Before the curtain falls, however, Rabbi Schram is introduced to a number of eligible Jewish girls. Unfortunately, these Jewish women are portrayed as desperate and unattractive. 
 
Ben Stiller returned as Reuben Feffer in Along Came Polly (2004), playing an uptight, obsessive, nebbish Jew who marries a not-very-attractive Jewish girl. But before you can say “mazel tov,” his new bride cheats while on their honeymoon. Stiller eventually finds new love with the spontaneous, pretty, non-Jewish Polly (Jennifer Aniston). 
 
All these cruel depictions and many others fly in the face of reality, not to mention our spiritual inheritance. The fact is, the very first mention of humor in the Bible concerns a strong, beloved Jewish woman. Matriarch Sarah, you’ll recall, is told that God will finally bless her with her very first child—at the ripe old age of ninety-nine. 
 
Sarah laughs, and who can blame her? But God is not amused: “Why did Sarah laugh? Is there something God cannot do?” (Genesis 18: 13–14). 
 
When the child is born, Abraham and Sarah name the boy Isaac; the Hebrew “Yitzchak” comes from the root word “tzchok,” meaning “laughter.” Why? Because, as Sarah explains, “God has caused laughter to me.” (Genesis 21: 6). 
 
Given laughter’s distinguished, even holy, pedigree, surely the time has come to stop laughing at Jewish women, like Susie Essman did, and start laughing with them. 
 
Simcha Weinstein is an award-winning author, whose latest book is Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st century (Barricade Books: 2008) is out now.

Ari Gold in Entourage

Ari Gold’s pushiness, sarcasm and neurosis conform to Hollywood’s popular notions of Jewish behavior and priorities. Even this flashy, success-obsessed character’s surname, “Gold,” is perfectly apt. Nasty stereotypes about Jews and their relationship with money die hard, because they got their start centuries ago. Since biblical times, Jews have been engaged in finance — and the complex relationship Jews have with money goes back almost that far. Myths depicting Jews as moneygrubbers were popular in medieval and Renaissance Europe. Medieval Jews weren’t permitted to own property or enter “respectable” professions, but they were allowed to act as moneylenders. Christian and Muslim rulers said lending money at interest was a sin, but they were happy to pawn off this “necessary evil” on their Jewish subjects.

In the phrase coined by sociologist Edna Bonocich, Jews around the world eventually became a “middleman minority”, one “standing between the peasant and the king, playing the role of middleman between producer and consumer, employer and employee, owner and renter, elite and masses.” Shakespeare and Dickens immortalized Jews as greedy and amoral, through their characters Shylock and Fagin.

Across the pond, American Jewish prosperity emerged from grinding poverty. Vaudeville stars were among the impoverished children of an estimated two million desperate Jewish immigrants. The Marx Brothers’ misbegotten upbringing became part of their legend, and in his memoir, Harpo recalled the adventures of “Minnie’s boys” in their crowded apartment:

“But thanks to the amazing spirit of my mother and father, poverty never made any of us depressed or angry. My memory of my earliest years is vague but pleasant, full of the sound of singing and laughter, and full of people I loved.”

Complicated feelings about money, success and security burrowed into the comedy routines of these early American performers. Jack Benny made a successful career out of the “Jewish cheapskate” persona, although the “Jewish” element was implied rather than explicit. In one radio routine, a thief holds up Benny at gunpoint and growls, “Your money of your life!” After repeated threats and a painfully long pause, Benny finally replies, “I’m thinking, I’m thinking…”

Jack Benny’s contemporary counterpart is Ari Gold, that rude guy we’ve all put up with, yacking on his cell phone about his “very important dealings.”

Gold is not evil so much as annoying. He can be petty, ruthless, insensitive, and materialistic, yet he cares deeply for his family, and at times his insecurity betrays his bullet-proof shell.

In that “Return of the King” episode, Ari is trying to broker a film deal, but the sunset deadline coincides with Yom Kippur. When he tries to negotiate with an orthodox studio head in the middle of services, he assures him: “This is time sensitive. God will understand.” His success represents the mirror opposite of that of earlier generation of assimilated Jews, who turned poverty into comedy. And yet the portrayal of Ari Gold is as unflattering as the old Jack Benny stereotype of the rich tightwad, and just as unfair.

For one thing, Judaism places great emphasis on generosity and charitable giving. The Talmud notes that charity equals all the other commandments combined (Bava Basra 9a). While the word “tzedakah” is most commonly translated into English as “charity,” it actually comes from the Hebrew word meaning “justice” or “righteousness.” Philanthropy is more than just an optional “good deed” – it’s the absolute duty of every righteous man and woman.

Secondly, charitable giving is indeed a difficult goal for many Jewish people. Despite the persistent perceptions that all Jewish people are rich, the 2004 Report on Jewish Poverty discovered that almost 20 percent of New York Jews lived in poverty. So remember: for every Ari Gold living in luxury, there’s a young Marx brother trying to scrape by.

In fact, there may be more of them, and fewer Ari Golds, now that America is experiencing an economic meltdown. Ironically, Wall Street is just a few blocks away from the old Lower East Side immortalized the saga of America’s Jewish immigrants. Literally and figuratively, maybe we haven’t come as far as we like to think.

Despite their often edgy dialogue and situations, contemporary comedies like Entourage can convey classic teachings: there is no connection between wealth and happiness (nor between an ethnicity and its material wealth). In fact, Ethics of the Fathers famously states, “Who is the happy person? One who takes joy in his lot?” (4:1) Whether Jewish comedians are making fun of poverty or wealth, the one thing the comedy imparts is the necessity to laugh with awareness.

Poverty and wealth are really just symptoms of security; if you can turn your symptoms into comedy, then you’re not controlled by the symptoms you control them. That’s important to remember all year round, especially in these trying times, when security is so fleeting.

Maybe this Yom Kippur, we should all switch our cell phones off (not just to vibrate!) or better yet, leave them at home all together. We can use the uninterrupted hours to contemplate the true meaning of life. Now that’s a “time sensitive” project that God will really understand.

In the third and latest installment of the Spider-Man movie franchise, everyone’s favorite arachnid hero is seduced by his shadow side. As the Spider-Man motto puts it, “With great power comes great responsibility”, but this time around, Spider-Man and his good guy alter-ego Peter Parker discover that it also comes with great temptations to evil. Spider-Man is about to go off the derech.

Spidey’s costume has mysteriously changed from familiar blue and red to pitch black; in fact, the costume is actually an alien, shape-shifting symbiote that feeds on Peter Parker, making him more aggressive and less inhibited. Intoxicated with ego, power and celebrity, not even a superhero like Spider-Man is able to resist the forces of darkness.

In Spider-Man 3, Parker’s former best friend Harry Osborne becomes his worst enemy. Harry adopts the persona of the villainous New Goblin, determined to avenge the death of his father, the Green Goblin, who Spider-Man defeated in a previous film.

Our man Spidey is preoccupied with a vendetta of his own. Police finally re-discover the identity of the man who killed Peter Parker’s unerringly decent role model and father figure, Uncle Ben: petty thief Flint Marko. In the long standing tradition of comic books, Marko is a tragic figure: his small daughter has a deadly disease and he has no health care benefits. Then a mishap at an energy test site turns Marko into Sandman, a nasty, shape shifting sand-castle. Another new Spider-Man nemesis is born.

Meanwhile at the Daily Bugle, Peter the intrepid photographer encounters new competition in upstart Eddie Brock. Their overbearing boss J. Jonah Jameson pits the young men against each other, dangling the promise of one full time gig, with benefits, to the best paparazzi. Clearly Brock wasn’t blessed with as noble a role model as Peter’s Uncle Ben; when Peter throws away his sinister new black suit, it finds a new home in Brock, who is promptly transformed into the evil fanged Venom — yet another villain for our hero to tackle.

Things have come an awfully long way since Bronx born, Jewish comic book pioneer Stan Lee conceived of the character of Spider-Man in 1962. Many believe that Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) gave his creation a somewhat Jewish world view. After all, Peter Parker is a dark-haired, bespectacled, Woody Allen-esque nebbish burdened with stereotypical Jewish neuroses. Peter Parker’s guilty feelings over his accidental role in the death of Uncle Ben (which we now find out may not even be true) has led to further talk of the character’s Jewishness. Jewish author Michael Chabon (who co-scripted Spider-Man 2) claims that Spider-Man is “crypto Jewish”: “You know, living with Uncle Ben and Aunt may in Queens.” While the director of all the films in the series, Sam Raimi, quips, “the only difference is that [Peter's guilt] is caused by his uncle, not his mother.”

Now, living in Queens does not make a person Jewish (no matter how many Jews live in Spidey’s Forest Hills neighborhood) but we can still draw some biblical reflections from the latest saga, with its strong father and son theme. The great 13th century Jewish scholar Nachmonides famously taught that, “the actions of the fathers are a sign for the children.” Through the bible we see that the deeds of the earliest characters in the narrative will be repeated by their children. Character traits and behavior patterns of the early patriarchs and matriarchs — are a model for all of Jewish history. Learning from the past is the secret to making the right decisions about the future.

According to the Talmud, people are born with two opposing impulses: the yetzer hatov, the impulse to do good, and the yetzer harah, the impulse to do evil. Jewish sages have noted that the yetzer hara is not completely evil, but more like a selfish impulse, which needs to be balanced with the yetzer hatov. Spider-Man’s strange new black suit and the feelings of unhealthy empowerment that come with it are clearly part of the yetzer harah. Fortunately, Spidey’s Uncle Ben helped form our young superhero’s conscience from an early age. Sadly Harry Osborn, Flint Marko and Eddie Brook were not blessed with such a role model. With all his incredible powers, it is only that innate, very human sense of decency that helps our hero ultimately resists the temptations of the dark side.

The Hebrew word teshuvah means “return.” Although often mistranslated as “repentance,” the word really means returning to the proper path of infinite potential. By letting go of our demons, we can embrace the greatest power of all, the power to forgive. Will Spider-Man display true heroism and banish his own demons in a spirit of forgiveness? We’ll all find out when he makes his own long awaited return this spring.

Rabbi Simcha Weinstein, the “Comic Book Rabbi,” is the founder of the Jewish Student Foundation of Downtown Brooklyn, an educational and cultural center that strives to ignite pride and commitment through innovative educational and social experiences in an open environment. A sought after television and radio guest, he has been profiled in many publications. He is also the author of the book “Up, Up and Oy Vey! How Jewish History, Culture and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero”

Rabbi Simcha Book Tour

11/14/2010
23rd Annual Bikur Cholim Conference
Topic: Utilizing comics to promote Bikur Cholim

5/28/2010
Suffolk Y JCC in Commack
Topic: Up, Up and Oy Vey!

4/25/2010
Temple Beth Chai,
Long Island
Annual Journal Luncheon and Dance

1/31/2010 3pm
Holocaust Museum and Study Center
17 South Madison Ave
Spring Valley, NY 10977
http://www.holocauststudies.org/
Topic: War Time Motivation: Superheroes & the Holocaust

1/16/2010
Chabad of Port Washington
Topic: Up, Up and Oy Vey!

12/25/2009
Congregation Kehilath Jacob
THE CARLEBACH SHUL
305 West 79th Street New York NY 10024
Topic: Shtick Shift
http://www.carlebachshul.org/

12/19/2009
Emunah of Teaneck
Topic: Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century

11/9/09
Chabad of the Conejo
30345 Canwood Street
Agoura Hills, CA 91301

11/8/2009 2pm
The Walters Art Museum
Graham Auditorium
600 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: 410-547-9000 ext.236
Fax: 410-837-4886
Topic: Up, Up and Oy Vey: How Jewish History, Culture, and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero
Rabbi Weinstein will discuss the relevance of a hero in film and life as created by co-authors Jerome Siegel and Joseph Shuster during the rise of fascism in 1930s Europe. A reception follows the book signing.
Pre-registration recommended
Register by clicking here
www.thewalters.org

11/6/09
Chabad Community Center of Pacific Palisades
15207 W Sunset Blvd
Pacific Plsds, CA 90272-3567
(310) 454-7783
http://www.chabadpalisades.com/

10/19/2009
Oxford College of Emory University,
Atlanta
Topic: Up, Up and Oy Vey
www.oxford.emory.edu
Download the EBrochure here

9/13/2009
register online

2/19/2009
Aliya Institute
525-527 E New York Ave, Brooklyn

5/26/2009
topic: comedy and cocktails
Soho center for jewish life

2/17/2009
Queensborough Community College
Holocaust Resource Center and Archives, Bayside, NY 11364

2/8/2009 12.15-1.15pm
New York Comic Con
Jews and Comics: A Cottage Industry
Rabbi Simcha in discussion with writers Arie Kaplan, Danny Fingeroth and comic book creators Al Jaffee and Jerry Robinson.

2/1/2009
Congregation Beth Israel, Greater Hartford
Topic: Up, Up and Oy Vey! How Jewish History, Culture and Values, Shaped the Comic Book Superhero

1/31/2009
Emunah
Topic: Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century

1/25/2009
Houston, TX
Topic: Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century

1/14/2009
Barnes & Noble, 106 Court Street Brooklyn Heights
Topic: Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century
Start 7pm

12/9/2008
Chabad of Flamingo
Topic: Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century

12/4/2008
Richmond, VA
Topic: Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century

12/3/2008
Tenement Museum, NY NY
Topic: Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century

12/2/08
Chabad of MD
Topic: Up, Up and Oy Vey! How Jewish History, Culture and Values, Shaped the Comic Book Superhero

11/19/2008
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Topic: Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century

11/18/2008
St. Louis, MO
Topic: Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century

11/16/2008
Detroit, MI
Topic: Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century

11/15/2008
Vir. Beach, VA
Topic: Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century

11/13/2008
San Diego, CA
Topic: Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century

11/11/2008
Cherry Hill, NJ
Topic: Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century

11/9/2008
American Jewish University, Los Angeles, CA
Topic: Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century

11/5/08
Gainesville Chabad
Topic: Up, Up and Oy Vey! How Jewish History, Culture and Values, Shaped the Comic Book Superhero

11/3/2008
Denver, CO
Topic: Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century

Additional dates to be announced soon.

The Invisible Woman and Mr. Fantastic are finally about to tie the knot, but before we can say “mazeltov”, their new nemesis, the Silver Surfer, ruins the big day. This metallic, intergalactic villain (who looks like an Silver-dipped, Academy Award come to life) is here to prepare the Earth for destruction. And only the Fantastic Four can stop him.

The Silver Surfer turns out to be a herald of Galactus, the devourer of planets (talk about over eating!). The Silver Surfer was once an ordinary humanoid until Galactus threatened his planet. In return for sparing his home, Galactus transforms him into the Silver Surfer, charged with seeking out planets for Galactus to destroy.

The idea for the all powerful Galactus character apparently came about when the comic’s creator suggested having “the Fantastic Four battle God.”

How did things get so theological? The Fantastic Four were created by the Jewish dynamic duo of writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby for Marvel Comics in 1961. My book Up, Up and Oy Vey! How Jewish History, Culture and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero reveals the fascinating Jewish motifs and values in popular comics, including the Fantastic Four. Unlike other superheroes, the Fantastic Four did not rely on double identities and disguises. In their alternative world, they were actually high-profile celebrities, headquartered on New York’s Fifth Avenue.

The family dynamic among the four characters was unmistakable from the start. Prior to The Fantastic Four, the family unit was never explored within the comic book genre. Superheroes tackled the dirty work of saving the world alone and only worked together out of necessity. The Fantastic Four were different. In the comic, once Invisible Woman and Mr. Fantastic married, the team became, quite literally, a family. Three of the four are directly related — the Human Torch is the Invisible Woman’s brother. Lastly, The Thing (Ben Grimm) takes the role of crusty uncle, stubborn child, and bratty teen all rolled into one bulky package.

The family is the very heart of the Jewish community, the vessel through which moral values and spiritual practices have been handed down for thousands of years. After the destruction of the holy Temple, the traditional Jewish home took on many of its functions. Shalom Bayit is the term given to the promotion of peace and harmony within the home, and The Fantastic Four depicts this ongoing struggle for peace within a family. While they are often, quite literally, at each other’s throats, these characters also willing to risk their lives for the safety of their “family.”

Over the years, Fantastic Four fans have felt particular affection for that misunderstood creature The Thing. The Thing has extreme strength, is impervious to bullets, and can endure intense physical pain. However, he’s not immune to emotional pain.

In many ways, The Thing personifies his creators’ Jewish origins. The Thing’s real name is Benjamin Jacob Grimm. Born on the “earthy” Lower East Side of Manhattan, he belonged to the Yancy Street gang in his youth. Young Jack Kirby fought street gangs on the Lower East Side, too, where Delancy is the main street.

Grimm’s youth comes back to haunt him in the famous 2002 issue, “Remembrance of All Things Past”. In this comic, released some forty years after his debut, the Thing’s true Semitic identity is finally revealed, He’d previously kept it a secret, explaining sadly, “there’s enough trouble in this world without people thinking Jews are all monsters like me.”

While Judaism has its roots in the accomplishments of powerful patriarchs and matriarchs, a special emphasis is also placed upon the tribe: the synthesis of everyone’s talents for the greater good. The Hebrew word for tribes, shevatim, means a “branch,” alluding to their separate yet united nature. In Lee and Kirby’s universe, not even superheroes live in a vacuum. Sometimes they have to rely on their fellow super-colleagues to assist them when the going gets tough.

In an age of terror, more than ever we all need a return to family values, working together to combine our powers and talents for the greater good. Even a flashy Hollywood movie based on a popular comic book can be a way to convey this important message (in between on screen explosions and corny jokes, of course.)

Will an encounter with a real, loving family cause the Silver Surfer to stand up Galactus and save the world from destruction? We’ll find out when the Fantastic Four return to a multiplex near you soon.