#jewish clark kent

[fromchaostocosmos]

Superman wears his actual costume to synagogue for Purim with a little paper mask and the skin around the eyes being covered makes them recognize him as Clark.

everyone tells Clark his costume is amazing and that is it looks so realistic where did he get it and he tells them his mom made it.

[nightwings-puphood]

"have you noticed how often [clark] goes out for bagels" no that's not suspicious jews are just like that

[frownyalfred]

Regarding Superman and Jewish identity:

Siegel has mentioned being inspired by Samson (you've probably seen the common motif of superman breaking through the chains holding him, similar to Samson being able to break any bonds) and that the creation of superman was in large part inspired by hearing news of what was happening to his and Shuster's fellow Jews in Europe, and the helplessness they felt at the rising antisemitism (also in USA where they lived).

Of course there's the Truth and Justice catchphrase reminiscent of many Jewish principles regarding Emet (as inscribed on the Golem's forehead to give him purpose) and Tzedek(, tzedek tirdof). ('and the American Way' was a later addition by the superman radio show due to airing as the US entered the war, so the patriotism increased accordingly).

There are also explicit references to possible jewish identity of superman/clark josef kent (his middle-name josef can also be considered a reference to the Golem, whose name in the tale is Yosef); such as him attending a shabbat dinner where he mentions being 'familiar with the kiddush', and in warworld, his existence is directly equated with Moses (he goes to warworld to free the slaves - including the phaelosians who are a branch of kryptonians aka 'his people').

There is more, but I don't want to make this ask any longer - have a nice day:)

Yes! Lots of Jewish imagery and coding. Which is what makes some of Snyder's Jesus-adjacent imagery a little strange. As others have mentioned, and as you did, Clark is probably closer to a Moses figure if anything.

It's an interesting discussion about when coding vs explicit identities come out in characters. Does Clark need to be explicitly Jewish in canon in order to convey this kind of connection? Did his Jewish creators ever intend for that coding to become more or less explicit?

I don't think there's always a right answer, even though I know some folks on here feel very strongly about it. Once again -- two Jews, three opinions, etc etc.

[fruitlicense]

I’m watching Superman: The Animated Series and I love that some of the Kryptonian alphabet is just Hebrew! Not all of it - I suspect some of it is pulled from other alphabets and some of it is just shapes - but I mean. compare it to Hebrew print and cursive script and it starts looking like a pretty cool nod to Superman’s Jewish origins

[trekkele]

Chapters: 1/7 Fandom: Batman - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Clark Kent & Bruce Wayne Characters: Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne Additional Tags: Jewish Clark Kent, Jewish Bruce Wayne, Judaism, Community - Freeform, Original Characters as Needed - Freeform Summary:

Several vignettes about Clark and Bruce being jewish together, or next to each other, or just in general, because be the change you want to see in the world.

*fic title is just Yiddish for ‘the week’.

[yourfavecharactersarejewish]

Today’s Jewish Character of the Day: Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El from DC Comics!

Woman #1: “What a nice man!”

Woman #2: “Of course. He’s Jewish, you know!”

-bystander old ladies at Niagara Falls; Superman II (1980)

[groovy-lady]

I drew Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El and Krypto the Superdog celebrating Hanukkah at the Fortress of Solitude!!

[lovelyselfshipper]

Name: Clark Kent/Superman/Kal-El.

Loved Since: December 2024.

Clark and I met at the Daily Planet where I am an editor for the newspaper and Clark is a reporter. We got along wonderfully and exchanged phone numbers during our lunch break.

[meirmakesstuff]

I'm so embarrassed--I've lived in the Berkshires my whole life and never heard of Ramah. Can you expound a bit on that please?

Ramah is a network of Jewish summer camps affiliated with the Conservative movement. While I didn't attend one myself, my youth group had yearly end-of-summer retreats at the Berkshires, specifically for the kids in the greater NYC region (I didn't grow up that close to the city but close enough to count), so specifying Berkshires in the Batman-Superman post was a little dig at Gotham's not-quite-NYC-ness. Likewise, Jewish groups I was with would have retreats at Camp Isabella Friedman, which is a retreat center rather than a kids' summer camp but does host some kids' retreats, particularly focused on Jewish ecological learning.

I name-checked those two specifically just because the aesthetic matched the ones in the post: Isabella Friedman's kid programs bring that crunchy ukulele vibe, while at Ramah a teen is more likely to find themself exploring taking on outwardly visible personal Jewish practices like the ones in the Batman-Superman post, mostly through exposure to fellow campers who do them. There are Ramah camps all around the US and Canada, as well as Jewish camps from other denominations and no denomination--I'm sure someone can give a more compelling suggestion for where Kansas-raised Clark might center his Jewish nostalgia.

[thegeekylady52]

Today is Yom HaShoah - Holocaust Remembrance Day, it is also the day of Superman's debut. @comicsymathdude wrote a wonderful fic about Jewish!Superman to connect them both.

[littletealights]

hi yes. i need more of the megamind/metroman dynamic with clark/lex. specifically i need this pair (who was written by “assimilating” jews) to mirror the racial school dynamic of the time. superman who looks human and is anything but and luthor who is more human than all his racist bullies put together.

[frownyalfred]

shalom! I just want to say that I’m a big fan of your jewish batman/superman posts. I love your analysis and characterizations and it’s so nice to see someone say what I’ve been thinking for years but never really knew how to say

also, your story “glory at the seams” makes me cry every time

so, yeah, big fan. keep up the great work❣️

oh 🥹 thank you so much for reminding me of that fic. I keep forgetting that it’s totally valid to explore Clark and Bruce’s Jewish influences and I’m not bothering anyone by doing so.

I really enjoy writing details of my own upbringing into some of those fics and posts. Martha in my ghost fic with Jason is really a love letter to my own Ashkenazi Jewish grandma, if I’m being honest. I miss her 🥺

[bluejaysandblackbats]

A Yellow Ribbon

Fandom: DC Comics, Young Justice, Flashfam, Superfam

Summary: Conner's been best friends with Bart ever since they met at the carnival when they were children. The problem is that Bart can't remember meeting Conner that night. But Thad does...

Chapters: 6/?

Characters: Clark Kent, Conner Kent, Lois Lane, Bart Allen, Thaddeus Thawne, Don Allen, Meloni Allen, Jonathan "Pa" Kent, Martha Kent, Max Crandall

Relationships: KonBart, KonThad, Clois, MelonixDon, Ma/Pa Kent

Additional Tags: No Powers AU, Mistaken Identity, Possibly Unrequited Love, Unrequited Crush, Twins, Lies, Stolen Moments, Unconventional Love Triangles, Misunderstandings, Childhood Friends, Complicated Relationships, Family Dynamics, Family Bonding, Best Friends, Secret Crush, Autistic Bart Allen, Autistic Thad Thawne, Thaddeus Thawne Gets a Hug, Conner Kent-centric, Bisexual Conner Kent, Conner Kent Needs a Hug, Third Person POV, Hurt Clark Kent, Boys in Love, Friendship/Love, Farm/Ranch AU, Farmboy Conner Kent, Grandparents and Grandchildren, Unconventional Families, Unconventional Relationship, Romance, Light Angst, Strangers to Lovers, Cyrano, Jewish Superfam

Chapter Six: Shabbat Dinner

Clark took Conner’s tie and yarmulke on their way in from service. Conner cradled Clark’s face, still humming the song Ma taught him. “Clark, are we gonna have chicken soup for dinner?”Conner asked. Clark smiled.

“Okay. Do you wanna help me remember the ingredients?” Clark questioned. Conner grinned as he loosened Clark’s tie. “Temple’s a little different here, huh?”

“There’s a lot more music at this one,” Conner grinned. Clark draped their dress shirts over the couch and placed their ties and yarmulkes on the side tables. They washed their hands together in the kitchen.

“Does Ma let you cut veggies with a knife?” Clark asked. Conner nodded. “Okay, so let’s get our ingredients together. Wanna list them for me?”

“Celery, carrots, onion, garlic, potato, ginger,” Conner listed. Clark repeated Conner’s words in a low whisper.

“Potatoes? You want to put potatoes in the chicken soup?” Clark asked as he picked Conner up, and they giggled together. “What else?”

“Lots and lots of cabbage,” Conner replied. Clark kissed Conner’s head as he sat him on the kitchen island and gave him a knife.

“You can cut carrots, celery, and cabbage. I’ll cut the other things, okay?” Clark delegated. Conner nodded seriously. “Thank you for coming to live with us.”

“I’m having fun… And I like sleeping in your room when I’m scared,” Conner answered as he worked. “Is Bart still in the hospital?”

“Yeah, I’m afraid so… Barry said he mostly sleeps now,” Clark replied without making himself sad.

“Does Mr. Barry still come home to his apartment?” Conner asked. Clark nodded.

“He’ll be home tonight to get a change of clothes and a shower, but he won’t sleep there,” Clark answered.

“Would it be okay to make Mr. Barry some soup too?” Conner asked. Clark smiled and nodded.

“And we have to save some for Lois too. Is she gonna be at work all night?” Conner questioned. Clark shook his head.

“No, Lois has a lead, and she’ll follow it to the ends of the earth to get her story, but only until her stomach starts rumbling,” Clark half-joked. Conner smiled.

The meal came together faster than they expected while they worked together. And it gave them time to talk. “Conner, are you happy?” Clark asked.

“Uh-huh, but sometimes the city feels too big,” Conner confessed. Clark seasoned the soup in one pot and watched it boil. Conner reached out and touched Clark’s wrist. “You don’t seem as big here… You got smaller.”

“The city got bigger, and the doorways and ceiling are higher than you’re used to. I had a hard time adjusting to the city when I moved here… And I was much older than you,” Clark whispered.

“I’m okay. There’s not much to do, but you said I’ll make friends. I believe you,” Conner smiled. He didn’t want Clark to worry. The door swung open, and Conner jumped.

“Oh, hi, Conner… Hi, Clark,” Lois smiled as she collected herself. Conner could see she was angry underneath it all.

“What happened, Lois?” Conner asked. “Did you wanna eat something else for dinner?”

“No, Scout. That’s not it. I’m mad at the story,” Lois half-explained, “And I must’ve missed dinner-.”

“No,” Conner smiled, “We’re making dinner right now! Do you want some soup?”

*

Conner helped Lois wash dishes after dinner, and she carried him to bed. “Thank you for the soup, Conner. I appreciated the hot meal,” Lois whispered. Conner couldn’t smile. “What’s eating you, Scout?”

“Is Mr. Barry back yet?” Conner asked. “I wanted to give him his soup.”

Lois cocked her head. “I don’t know. Let’s go check,” Lois whispered. Conner put his slippers on, and Lois wrapped him in his robe. “Bundled up?”

Conner nodded, and she led him to the kitchen to get Barry’s soup out of the fridge. “Lois? What if Mr. Barry is sad?” Conner questioned.

“It’s okay to be sad,” Lois whispered. She took Conner’s hand and squeezed it as they went next door. Lois knocked while Conner held onto the soup container. Barry opened the door with tears in his eyes.

“Mr. Barry, are you okay?”Conner asked. Barry crouched in front of him and smiled. “We wanted to bring you some soup. I know Bart’s sick, but I hope he gets better soon. I’m sorry that you’re sad.”

Barry took the soup container and shook Conner’s hand. “Thank you, Conner," Barry whispered, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"You can hug me if you want to," Conner whispered, "I hope Bart gets better soon. Sleeping always makes me feel better. So, maybe he'll be good as new" Barry embraced him.

"You're so much like your father," Barry chuckled. Conner patted Barry's back but couldn't shake the idea of being compared to Clark. Clark was so imposing and special… And everybody loved him. How could he possibly measure up to that? He smiled at the thought. Maybe he'd be a hero like Clark someday. Helping people. Protecting others no matter the cost.

They said their goodbyes, and Lois took Conner back to his bedroom. "Lois, why did Clark get locked away?" Conner questioned.

Lois frowned. She hated thinking about Clark's time in prison. "The government there hurt people because they were different… They put them in prisons to force the people to be like everyone else, and Clark tried to help them get out… When he got caught, they said he was a spy and broke the law, and they locked him away and kept him in secret until he'd tell the soldiers who sent him. They kept him for almost a year, Conner… For doing the right thing.

"He wasn't afraid of what they'd do to him. Clark couldn't let innocent people get hurt. The government here worked hard to get him home when we found out he was alive because he didn't do anything wrong," Lois explained.

"How did he know it wasn't wrong if it was against the law?" Conner asked.

"Because he knew those people didn't deserve to be locked away. People go to jail for doing bad things, but sometimes innocent people go to jail because the system is imperfect and unjust. You'll understand that more as you grow up," Lois explained. Conner nodded. "Clark's asleep right now, but if you want me to stay, I will," Lois whispered. Conner nodded. Lois climbed into bed, and he cuddled close to her.

"I love you and Clark very much," Conner whispered as he shut his eyes.

"And we love you… So much," Lois smiled as she wrapped her arms around him. He held her hands and kept her close to him. "What made you ask that?"

"Mr. Barry said I was like Clark. I'll never be as brave as Clark," Conner whispered. Lois kissed the top of his head.

"Clark said you're braver than he was as a kid," Lois whispered, smiling into the back of Conner’s head. She wanted Conner to feel important because he always downed himself when he compared himself to Clark.

���Ma says you help him be brave… Will you help me be brave too?” Conner asked. Lois made a soft noise.

“Of course,” Lois whispered, “You’re something special, Scout. You’ll always be special like this.” She meant it. Conner smiled to himself as he drifted off to sleep.

[meirmakesstuff]

Okay but I see a lot of Jewish Batman and Superman takes, usually using the contrast to explore different expressions of Jewishness, but this post made me realize how rarely I see Batman proposed as frummer than Superman in any way.

Maybe that's because Bruce's canon Jewishness is a retcon, leaving him with plenty of explicitly non-Jewish canon moments to explain away, while Clark's Jewishness, fully fanon, is free of obligation to contradictions from canon.

Maybe it's because Bruce's canon Jewishness, being a retcon, opens doors to talk about the process of reconnecting with Jewishness after a generation or two of alienation, or the process of becoming ba'al tshuvah even: how is this same character that we know so well altered by a change in his Jewishness? How does that contrast with someone whose identity has been constant, whose Jewishness informed his character from the start?

Maybe it's because we do internalize the canard that country values are better values and urban billionaire Bruce must need to be stepping away from something he grew up with in order to access something wholesome, while country boy Clark, bumpkin in the big city, gives us echoes of shtetl immigrants with Yiddish accents and a wide-eyed need to apply wholesome rural values to the morally bankrupt big city (whose narrative is that? Who are we in it?).

Maybe too it's because we conceptualize the spectrum of frumkeit as being a spectrum of Jewishness, or connectedness, or piety, or commitment, and forget that what frumkeit measures is only your frumkeit. This vision of Clark lets me imagine his nostalgic memories of Camp Isabella Friedman, while this vision of Bruce lets me imagine him working through how to navigate being on the frummer end of the spectrum at Ramah in the Berkshires. I'm enjoying the presence of Jewish contrasts that don't involve being less vs. more, or established vs. new practice, or engaged in contrast with secular. They're practicing in different ways, not at different levels, and that's important.

Not to get serious on a Batman and Superman post. But you know.

bruce wayne: conservadox jew, wears talit k’tan under the batsuit, keeps rigorous kosher & two sets of dishes

clark kent: reconstructionist hippie jew, plays shabbat songs on a ukelele, regularly shows up at his old summer camp as superman to hang out with the kids

[jesncin]

Superman and Martian Manhunter celebrating Hanukkah together!! Okay I screamed to be given this prompt. This request was through the DC Gotcha for Gaza fan fundraiser! Check out their carrd for more info~

[groovy-lady]

Amortentia - Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El

Sunshine, his natural Kyrptonian musk, corn, cinnamon, lavender, garden sage, ozone, stardust, newspaper ink, cedar wood, honey, glazed apples, cardamum, smoked paprika, caraway, fresh strawberries and cream, Za’atar, ginger, and poppy seeds.