Is Superman Circumcised?: The Complete Jewish History of the World's Greatest Hero

Product Description SUPERMAN is the most famous character in the world. He's the first superhero, an American icon-and he's Jewish!Introduced in June 1938, the Man of Steel was created by two Jewish teens, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the sons of emigrants from Eastern Europe. They based their hero's origin story on Moses, his strength on Samson, his mission on the golem and his nebbish secret identity on themselves. They made him a refugee fleeing catastrophe on the eve of World War II and sent him to tear Nazi tanks apart nearly two years before the US joined the war.In following decades Superman's mostly Jewish writers, artists and editors continued to borrow Jewish motifs for their stories, basing Krypton's past on Genesis and Exodus, its civilization on Jewish culture, the trial of Lex Luthor on Adolf Eichmann's and a holiday celebrating Superman on Passover.Exploring these underlying themes of a beloved modern mythology, Is Superman Circumcised? The Complete Jewish History of the World's Greatest Hero is a fascinating and entertaining journey through comic book lore, American history and Jewish tradition, sure to give readers a newfound appreciation for the Mensch of Steel! Review WINNER OF THE 2021 INTERNATIONAL DIAGRAM PRIZE FOR ODDEST BOOK TITLE OF THE YEAR "I am floored by this deep and beautiful examination of history, liturgy, and culture. If you believe in comics as the holders of miracle, myth, and mystery, this is the book for you."?Mayim Bialik, actress, author, neuroscientist "A fascinating book."?Fox 2 Detroit Morning News "A must-have for any fan of superheroes, comic books and Jewish history and literature."?Jerusalem Post "Fascinating, illuminating and highly accomplished...you will never look at Superman in quite the same way....A lively and often funny book."?Jewish Journal "Over the years, there have been quite a few different books written about the history of Superman and Schwartz's book certainly ranks at the top of the list....Schwartz has crafted together a profound read...[a] beautifully written and comprehensive portrait of Superman's ties to the history of the Jewish faith and culture."?Superman Super Site "Contains some of the best analysis, history, and sociology pertaining to comics I have ever read....[it] not only offers a wide view of Superman and his impact within our culture but provides a blueprint for scholars to examine such longstanding characters....This book achieves monumental status as a scholarly endeavor. Yet this work is not stuffy, pedantic, or banal. Its prose is exciting and engaging, which makes it hard to put down."?The Popular Culture Studies Journal "Schwartz approaches the subject with an academic lens and a fan's passion, with text-parsing that would have impressed the rabbis of the Talmud."?The Forward "This book is amazing."?New Books Network "I've read quite a few books on the history of Superman...Schwartz's book is right up there with some of the better ones...all Superman fans should add [it] to their collection."?SupermanHomepage.com "A deep dive into the history, mythology and cultural folklore of America's super-heroes...scholarly yet broadly entertaining."?Michael Uslan, executive producer of the Batman movie franchise, comic book historian  "An impressive work that is meant for hard-core, real-deal fans as well as the general public....The whole book is well-written and engaging. What a delight."?Pop Culture Squad"Schwartz demonstrates extraordinary insight in his overview of the intersection of comics, the history of heroes and heroines, theological knowledge, and pop culture...[and] imparts the information with humor, focus...and an uncanny ability to join the concepts in an accessible, entertaining, and enlightening way."?Times Beacon Record "Utilize[s] Superman as a jumping off point for numerous interesting discussions...the kind of book that will be adored by fans of Comic-Con....Plunge[s] deeply into Torah and Talmudic learning while