The Golem and Superman's Powers

 Nsdene Goldfoot                                       

Superman was born (as Kal-El) (Clark Kent) on the fictional planet Krypton, a dying world on the brink of an apocalyptic cataclysm. His parents, Jor-El and Lara, placed him in a spacecraft and launched him toward Earth moments before their planet exploded. As an aside ;  In Biblical writings, El (אֵל) is an ancient Semitic term that broadly means "god," "deity," or "mighty one". Rooted in words that convey "strength, power, or might", the word serves as both a generic title for any god and a fundamental name for the one true God of Israel. 

Superman wants to help people simply because of the profound empathy, compassion, and strong moral compass instilled in him by his adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent. They taught him that possessing extraordinary abilities comes with a deep responsibility to use those gifts to benefit humanity. 

                         Shuster seated, in 1942 with Siegel

In terms of his real-world creation by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superman was "born" in 1938 during the Great Depression. The character emerged as a symbol of hope and resilience during a period of severe economic struggle and growing global tensions.

     Shuster was born July 10, 1914.  

 Joseph Shuster was born in Toronto, Ontario, to a Jewish family. His father, Julius Shuster (originally Shusterowich), an immigrant from Rotterdam, had a tailor shop in Toronto's garment district. His mother, Ida (Katharske), had come from Kiev, Russian Empire (now Kyiv, Ukraine).  Sometime in 1924, when Shuster was 9 or 10, his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio. There Shuster attended Glenville High School and befriended his later collaborator, writer Jerry Siegel, with whom he began publishing a science fiction fanzine called Science Fiction: The Advance Guard of Future Civilization. Siegel described his friendship with the similarly shy and bespectacled Shuster: "When Joe and I first met, it was like the right chemicals coming together."

Siegel was born on October 17, 1914, in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Lithuanian Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York in 1900, having fled antisemitism in their native Lithuania, then part of the Russian Empire. His father was born Mikhel Iankel Segalovich and his mother was born Sora Meita Khaikels, but they changed their names to Michael and Sarah Siegel after moving to the United States. Jerry was the last of six children (Isabel, Leo, Minerva, Roslyn, and Harry). His father was a tailor and owned a clothing store. On June 2, 1932, Michael was punched hard in the chest by a shoplifter and suffered a fatal heart attack, while Sarah died of a heart attack on August 17, 1941.                                 

         1938-2011, action Comics were read and collected

Siegel's family moved to the Jewish neighborhood of Glenville in 1928. He attended Glenville High School in Cleveland. As a sci-fi fan, he created the first sci-fi fanzine in 1929 called Cosmic Stories, containing stories he had written and that the pulp magazines Amazing Stories and Science Wonder Stories rejected when he tried to publish with them. At about age 16, while at Glenville, he befriended Joe Shuster.

Superman: Scholars and pop-culture historians frequently point out that the Golem, along with the biblical strongman Samson and the story of Moses, deeply inspired the creation of Superman.  To understand the legend, it is essential to consider its historical canvas. The late 16th century was a time of great tension for Prague’s Jewish community. Jews were confined to the city’s ghetto and frequently threatened by antisemitic violence. Amidst this, Prague flourished as a center of art, science, and alchemy under Emperor Rudolf II. This intersection of persecution, scholarship, and mysticism set the stage for the Golem story.  The heart of the legend centers on Rabbi Loew and his profound knowledge of the Kabbalah, a mystical branch of Judaism said to contain the secrets of the universe. According to the most widespread version:  

• Rabbi Loew, troubled by threats to the Jewish community, resolved to create a protector using esoteric rituals.
• Assisted by his son-in-law and a trusted disciple, he shaped a large figure of clay from the banks of the Vltava River.
• Through intense prayers and the use of sacred words, specifically placing the divine name or a shem (a parchment with God’s name), he infused the Golem with life.

The act of creating life was considered taboo—even dangerous—within Jewish tradition, reserved only for God himself. Only extraordinary circumstances and an intimate connection with the divine made it possible for Rabbi Loew to “play God.” It became real to people, rather than symbolic that he could bring about destruction and ruin.  Power to create an actual golem was ascribed to Rabbi Elijah of Chelm in the 16th century.   and this story later was ascribed to Rabbi Loew, the Maharal.  Another aside;  the word Golem, is used in Yiddish for a stupid person.  

Resource:

https://www.pathculture.com/travel/legend-golem-prague-myth-mystery-meaning/?sem_campaign=PMAXPCTRAVEL_USA&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23218818423&gbraid=0AAAABB5xIw02XbG6E9j7v3VOM6my_DkGi&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3K7RBhDJARIsAK