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Feb. 23, 2012
 Rabbi Simcha Weinstein will discuss his book “Up, Up, and Oy Vey! How Jewish History, Culture and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero” at Morningside College at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 15, in the Yockey Family Community Room in the Olsen Student Center, 3609 Peters Ave.
Weinstein will be speaking as part of Morningside’s annual Goldstein Lecture. The lecture is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the religious studies department at Morningside College, the Jewish Federation of Sioux City and Congregation Beth Shalom.
In his book, Weinstein discusses how early comic book creators were predominantly Jewish, and as children of immigrants, they spent their lives trying to escape the second-class mentality that was forced on them by the outside world. He says their fight for truth, justice and the “American Way” is portrayed by the superheroes they created, from the birth of Krypton in Cleveland to the Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man, X-Men and more.
“Up, Up, and Oy Vey!” received the Benjamin Franklin Award for the best religion book of 2007. Weinstein’s second book, “Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century,” was recently published.
A best-selling author, Weinstein has appeared on CNN and NPR and has been profiled in The New York Times. Before making a career change, he worked in the film industry on movies such as “The Full Monty” and “Tomorrow Never Dies.” He is now the rabbi at the Pratt Institute in New York and one of its instructors. He examines popular culture through the lens of his commitment to Jewish ethics and spirituality.
The Goldstein Lectures at Morningside College are made possible through a permanent endowment provided by the Harold and Bernice Goldstein Foundation.
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