Captain America is Jewish: How Antisemitism Shaped The Comic Book Industry: Part One.

The 1930s Golden Age of Comic Books marked the rise of iconic superheroes like Superman and Batman, shaped by the experiences of Jewish creators. Facing discrimination, Jewish writers and artists found opportunity in the comic book industry. Superman, introduced in Action Comics #1 (1938) by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster—children of Jewish immigrants—became a symbol of justice, with strong parallels to the story of Moses. These Jewish comic book creators used their work to combat anti-Semitism and Nazi propaganda, famously depicting Superman defeating Hitler. Other Jewish creators, such as Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, created Captain America to stand against fascism. These superhero stories captured the dual-identity struggles of Jewish immigrants in America, emphasizing justice, sacrifice, and the fight against evil—key themes in Jewish American history and comic book culture.

Thanks to Mike Meyers for the theme music, you can follow him on X @themikeshow42.

Away, Meydän, Free Music Archive, CC BY, https://tinyurl.com/awaymeydan

#notyourhistoryclass #history #wwII #fascism #comicbooks #antisemitism #jewish #captainamericabravenewworld #captainamerica #superman #batman #spiderman #thexmen #fantasticfour #stanlee #marvel #dccomics #racism #civilrights #holocaust #jewishhistory #judaism #kingdavid #davidandgoliath #moses

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SOURCES

https://jewishunpacked.com/how-jewish-creators-shaped-the-comic-book-industry

https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Moses-Hebrew-prophet

https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/04/18/the-evolution-of-superman-s-origin

https://www.britannica.com/biography/David

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/26/tennessee-school-board-bans-holocaust-comic-maus-by-art-spiegelman.html

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/jews-in-comic-books/

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/exploring-hate/2023/08/23/salvation-and-alliance/

https://www.oakland.edu/Assets/Oakland/religiousstudies/files-and-documents/faculty-research/Klein,%20Rabbi%20Joe%20-%20Superheroes%20Lecture%20March%208,%202016.pdf

https://www.forbes.com/sites/robsalkowitz/2018/08/16/when-comics-took-on-the-holocaust/

https://jimcrowmuseum.ferris.edu/question/2009/july.htm

https://ufdc.ufl.edu/collections/wpa

https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/ku-klux-klan

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