Calling Minyan Man and Matzah Woman: We need your help

It was 1965 when 8-year-old Alan Oirich’s friend David told him in the playground of their Long Island synagogue that David wasn’t planning to celebrate Hanukkah that year because Christmas was more interesting and fun. Trying to change David’s mind, Alan, who was a comic book fan and aspiring illustrator, went home and drew a number of Jewish superheroes to deliver to David a public service message about Jewish holidays, modelled on the messages that were found in comic books at the time.

And so the Jewish Hero Corps were born.

Cover of Jewish Hero Corps #1. With the permission of the copyright owner, Alan Oirich. 

Almost 40 years later, in 2003, an actual comic book was printed (this is its cover) featuring the characters which were developed to change David’s mind.  The members of the Corps in #1 are:

Menorah Man – he can grow six extra arms for a total of eight, each of which can project flame-like energy blasts

Dreidel Maidel – she can spin at electron speed

Minyan Man – he has the ability to split into 10 men

Magen David – he has an invincible shield

Kipa Kid – also known as the “Yarmulke Youth” or the “Capped Crusader,” he has an array of trick head coverings

Shabbas Queen – her wand allows her to stop machines for 25 hours, giving them a rest

Matzah Woman – she has microwave vision from eating radioactive matzah

Other heroes have been added in #2 (The Secret of the Solar Sukkah, issued in 2013) and #3 (Crisis in Time, issued in 2024).  The series can be found at https://www.jewishsuperheroes.com/ 

Oirich’s motivation is to show that Jewish holidays and history are fun.  He believes comics are a great vehicle to teach Jewish history and values, and to instill Jewish pride, adding it is possible to find holiness in the characters and stories of comic books.

He says he is still responding to his childhood friend David who thought that Judaism wasn’t cool enough. Reading in #1 how the Jewish Hero Corps smashed the FOBOT Missile which would have destroyed Jewish memory worldwide, it is clear that Judaism is more than cool enough.

From the Treasure Trove, a project of https://thecjn.ca/.