Superman is Jewish? The intersection of history, religion, and popular culture in comics

I have blogged previously about Art Spiegelman’s Maus.  The books were an eye opener for me, seeing the powerful emotions, a storyline that personalizes history while not minimizing it, and a format that invites in reluctant readers.  Graphic novels (books in comic book format, with illustrations, and often dealing with topics that align more with adult themes) are a great entry point for both strong readers and reluctant readers.  The art form of comics allows two media to be conjoined and to deepen the experience of the audience.  Comic books have traditionally been in the realm of pre-teen and teenage boys.  The simplicity of the illustration can fool many in to believing that there is little worth between the covers.  Surprisingly - thankfully - there is so much more going on inside of these books.  Seemingly because of their innocuous nature, they are able to convey adult themes, open doors to history, and deal with current events in a way that can be both profound and easily overlooked at the same time.

 

In 1941, Jack Kirby and Joe Simon created the character Captain America.  On the cover, Cap has infiltrated a Nazi bunker, and is punching Adolf Hitler.  A great image from today’s standard, and nothing less than we would expect from the stories we are taught in our textbooks.  But, the comic came out in March 1941, before the US was committed to the war.  The war was "over there," and Americans wanted nothing to do with it.  Kirby and Simon were young Jewish artists and decided to turn current events into their story.  Their work did not start the war, or increase patriotism.  It took current events and pushed them to the forefront.  It demanded attention and erased ignorance.  It piqued interest and awoke a younger generation.  (Very much in the same vein as Comedy Central’s Daily Show and Colbert Report, today.)

The Holocaust would come up again in popular culture in the 1950s.  Several different stories would deal with the history in different ways.  Stories would continue, ideas would be shared.  And in the 1960s, Stan Lee would create the story of the X-Men, a group of humans that are different, and therefore feared.  I began reading the series in the 1980s, and was immediately drawn to the storyline of exclusion.  While not overtly mentioning antisemitism, it would be hard to deny, even as a boy, the historical basis.  Seeing America’s transformations throughout the 90s - the cultural acceptance of interracial dating, homosexuality, and other minority communities - the X-Men storylines reflected society, and built empathy. 

At some point, I stumbled upon the graphic novel, X-Men:  God Loves, Man Kills.  My eyes were opened.  A part of the story deals with violence aimed at those considered different, and therefore, considered unworthy of life by some (an arching theme in the X-Men universe).  Two young children are hung from a swing set.  They are found by the arch-enemy Magneto (created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, both Jews).  This sets up the backstory.  Magneto will become a complex character that several writers will work to flush out.  Ultimately, in Magneto: Testament, published in 2008, we discover that Magneto is raised Jewish in a German home. His family flees the Nazis and are caught in Poland.  Long story short, his past helps shape his views, and quite possibly reflects the nature of the creators. Magneto’s complexity will be reflected in the movie series, but will not be as effective at generating the empathy and complexity of the character.  The films, though, do provide a decent entry in to the comic world. 

Most recently, Disney has paired up with several creators to develop a film and online graphic novel set entitled, “They Spoke Up:  American Voices Against the Holocaust."  This is an interesting series, and I am just breaking in to it as I write this, but looks to be a promising resource.   I will blog about that in the coming weeks.  There are other great works available out there including a great story entitled 2nd Generation: Things I Never Told My Father, in graphic novel form, dealing with the complexity of the Holocaust that allows entry and absorption at multiple levels.  They just aren’t available in the United States. 

As I was researching for this post, I came across a recently published book (2012) entitled Superman is Jewish? that relates similarities in Jewish culture with the comic book storylines.  The author makes a wonderful comparison of the alien that would become Clark Kent being rocketed to safety by his parents before their destruction:  An interstellar “Kindertransport.”  Comic books are much more complex than we can even imagine. 

Sadly, there has been little new in the way of Holocaust graphic literature.  The stories of the 1950s provided shock and awe at a time when it was still fairly new in the cultural psyche.  The Holocaust is rarely invoked as a teaching tool in modern mainstream culture.  It has been moved to the shelf of distant history.  We must be careful to not lose the lessons learned in such a hard fashion.  We must follow the lead of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, use the media of comics and graphic novels to shape the future generations in a less blunt fashion.  Truly, it is often those that need the lesson the most that will be most likely to pick up this form of literature.  Rather than just re-illustrating Anne Frank, let us seek to build on the exploration of humanity by find new avenues and new stories to tell in different formats. 

Utilizing Literature Circles

As a history teacher, I’m always concerned about how to most effectively guide students through a book.  Years ago, when I assigned All But My Life by Gerda Weissmann Klein, students “completed” reading guides that followed the book.  It became increasingly clear that students were treating this assignment as busy work- filling in random comments and copying reading guides.  This trivialized Gerda’s story so I was eager to try something new.  Several years ago, English Language Arts colleagues modeled a literature circle with MCHE's Isak Federman Holocaust Teaching Cadre.  This completely changed the way I approached All But My Life.  Students are naturally interested in Gerda’s story and her writing is easily understandable and engaging for high school students.  Their interest, coupled with the reading quizzes I gave, kept the students reading and allowed the students to have meaningful conversations during class time.

To further acquaint yourself with literature circles, Facing Historyprovides some excellent tips for literature circles, especially covering the sensitive subject of genocide.  They also include valuable assessment and extension activities. 

The literature circles allowed my honors sophomores to develop a deeper understanding of the complex history and an appreciation for Gerda’s compelling story.  My literature circle discussion questions were adapted from the teaching materials provided by the Gerda and Kurt Klein Foundation.  I taught this book to honors World History students for roughly ten years and highly recommend it for teenagers (15+) and adults. 

Number the Stars as performed at the Coterie Theatre

Lois Lowry won her first Newbery Award for this book set in Denmark during the Holocaust. The book explores many universal themes including bravery, friendship, and human decency as well as Holocaust topics including rescuers, hiding, perpetrators, resistance, and antisemitism. While the book’s focus is on the two young friends, Annemarie and Ellen, the play is often focused on a young member of the Resistance. Peter (who would have been Annemarie’s brother-in-law had her sister not been killed in her work with the Resistance) provides important details about the history of Denmark and the work of the Resistance members there.

The play is well-acted. Actresses a bit older than their characters convincingly play the three young girls. The supporting cast is believable in their roles as either perpetrators or rescuers. The set is a simple but fascinating one. On the stage are a table, chairs, and a trunk. But the backdrop is constantly changed to show a variety of settings using wall-sized Etch-A-Sketch-like drawings. The audience of middle-school students was fully engaged in the action. The hour-length play was well-written and represented the key concepts and characters in the book very closely.

Like Laura Patton (see her January 17 post), I would prefer to use non-fiction over novels or historical fiction. But there are many effective ways to use a book like Number the Stars (a quick, engaging read for most 6-8^th grade students). Students can study the literary aspects of the book, how the author researched and incorporated the history of the Holocaust in Denmark, and then research the historical aspects themselves. Once students research events presented in the book, they become interested in knowing about other, related events and people.

MCHE, as the education partner of The Coterie Theatre for this play, provides Number the Stars Educational Materials.

There are dozens of online sites providing educational activities to use with the book. Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site provides discussion ideas, activities, and related books. This is one site that shows creative ways to incorporate a novel into historical curriculum.

Lois Lowry's Blog provides useful insights about the book and her research.

In the Afterword of the book, Lowry addresses the question “How much of Annemarie’s story is true?” This is a wonderful section to use with students to pique their interest in the history portrayed in the book. The playwright (Douglas W. Larche) uses this section to create a moving letter from Peter read at the end of the play:

            “… the dream for you all, young and old, must be to create an ideal of human decency, and not a narrow-minded and prejudiced one. That is the great gift that our country hungers for,   something every little peasant boy can look forward to, and with pleasure feel he is a part of — something he can work and fight for.”

I think there are many teachable moments and valuable concepts in this book and in the play that can easily lead to a study of the history of the Holocaust and the memoirs, poetry, and artwork of its victims.

Choosing the best instructional books for young readers

A friend and I were recently discussing Holocaust books for young adults. During our conversation, she mentioned The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen. I told her that I dislike The Devil’s Arithmetic. In fact, I wish that my son’s middle school did not offer it as an option for literature circles. Of course my friend asked me why I felt this way. It occurred to me that my answer might make a good blog entry.

To begin, let me state that there are other of Yolen’s books that I enjoy and believe are worth teaching. The Devil’s Arithmetic just isn’t one of them. The novel is an odd combination of historical fiction and fantasy that tells the story of a Jewish girl named Hannah. At the start of the novel as her family shares stories during a Seder meal, Hannah feels the ennui typical of teenagers. During the evening, Hannah opens the door of her home and is transported back in time to 1942 Poland. The reader follows Hannah through the remainder of the novel as she attempts to survive as a Jew under Nazi occupation. Absurd premise? I thought so. Reading the book didn’t sway my opinion.

I wouldn’t stop a young person from choosing The Devil’s Arithmetic for pleasure reading, even though I think there are better choices. My primary objection to the book stems from the fact that some schools choose it for instruction; this lends legitimacy to the novel it doesn’t deserve. The time-travel element of The Devil’s Arithmetic s is contrived and trivializes the subject. The Holocaust and fantasy do not mix well.

For upper elementary readers, Lois Lowry’s novel Number the Stars is a fine choice. Generally speaking, however, my position is that there are so many excellent Holocaust memoirs, biographies, and non-fiction options, I simply don’t see why a novel is necessary or justified as an instructional choice. A sampling of my non-fiction favorites for grades 7-9 are listed below. I invite you to respond to this blog with suggestions of your own favorite books for teaching the Holocaust to secondary students.

Dry Tears: The Story of a Lost Childhood by Nechama Tec

This is the true story of how eleven-year-old Nechama and her family were hidden by Polish Christians. Because Nechama could most easily “pass” as Christian, she was sent out to sell bread to help support her family. This is a suspenseful story that illustrates the dangers for Jews in Nazi-occupied Poland and the conflicting motivations of Poles who chose to help their Jewish neighbors.

Behind the Secret Window: A Memoir of a Hidden Childhood During World War Two by Nelly S. Toll

Nelly was only eight-years-old in 1943 when she and her mother went into hiding with a Polish couple. To keep Nelly occupied and quiet during the long and boring days, she was supplied with materials to paint and keep a diary. Twenty-nine of these childhood paintings illustrate this memoir.

Four Perfect Pebbles: A Holocaust Story by Lila Perl and Marion Blumenthal Lazan

I don’t feel that the Holocaust should be taught to students as young as sixth grade. If your school’s curriculum mandates that instruction begin at that age, this book would be a good choice. The book tells the story of the Blumenthall family and features two sections of historical photos, family photos, and photos of family documents. The Blumenthals are German Jews. Like Anne Frank’s family, they sense danger when Hitler comes to power and emigrate to the Netherlands. Eventually, of course, they are trapped. This is a “happy” Holocaust book in the sense that all four family members manage to stay together throughout their ordeal and survive to liberation. The story follows the family members through their resettlement to life in the United States. There is a companion video called Marion’s Triumph.

Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps by Andrea Warren

This book is a favorite because it tells the story of Jack Mandelbaum, a Kansas City area Holocaust survivor and a co-founder of the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education. The award-winning author, Andrea Warren, lives in Prairie Village, Kansas. Jack endured several slave labor camps and the loss of almost all of his family members. However, he does not lose his humanity. His love of people suffuses the text and makes it a wonderful choice for middle schoolers. Jack’s testimony is available on video from MCHE.

All But My Life: A Memoir by Gerda Weissmann Klein

A striking characteristic of this memoir is the elegance of the language. Klein wrote it in English – her third or fourth language. Gerda endures imprisonment in her own home, relocation to a ghetto, and slave labor in several different camps. Toward the end of the war, Gerda is forced on a death march. This is a compelling story and has a companion film titled One Survivor Remembers which won an Academy Award.

In My Hands: Memoirs of a Holocaust Rescuer by Irene Gut Opduke with Jennifer Armstrong

Irene Gut was a seventeen-year-old Polish girl when WWII began. She was forced to work for the German army as a waitress and eventually as a housekeeper for a Nazi major. Against all odds, she successfully hid twelve Jews in the basement of the major’s home until the end of the war. In My Hands is the story of the sacrifices Irene made to save these lives.

The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler by James Cross Giblin

I realize this may seem like an odd choice. Every year I have at least one middle school student who is fascinated with Adolf Hitler; you may also have students with this interest. This is the book I would recommend you hand to them. Giblin won the Robert F. Siebert Medal for this text which is given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in the United States in English. The book is even-handed and does not glorify Hitler in any way. It dispels many common myths about the man and addresses his destructive legacy.