A Case Study: Whistle by E. Lockhart

How many Jewish elements are required to make a story Jewish?

A little while ago, I wrote a post about what makes a story Jewish and proposed an initial framework to start our conversation, acknowledging that it was just a starting point and that I might need to change it quite a bit as we went. The purpose of today is bring our conversation away from the abstract and focused on actual Jewish stories. This also gives me a chance to reflect on whether my abstract theories and frameworks actually work in application. As such our goal today is both to review and analyze the story- but also to use it as an opportunity to highlight ways in which my theory of what makes a story Jewish may have flaws or blind spots. This is a case study using the story of Whistle by E. Lockhart and while I tried to keep things generic - there will be spoilers - you have been warned.

What makes a story Jewish?

Some Background

Whistle by E. Lockhart and illustrated by Manuel Preitano is a graphic novel in DC’s Young Adult series which tells the story of a new superhero - 16 year old Willow Zimmerman. I originally purchased Whistle because I kept hearing that it was one of the first specifically and explicitly Jewish superhero stories in DC, or maybe in Gotham. Anyone who knows the depths of DC superhero lore knows this is a bit of a complicated statement. For example, there is a whole other essay I could write about how while no comments are usually made about Batman, the fact is that Bruce Wayne’s maternal cousin is Kate Kane (Batwoman) - who is Jewish - which also by some logic makes some versions of Batman Jewish by birth. Putting aside whether Kate Kane’s Jewishness is enough, and whether Batman being Jewish by birth is enough, there was once a comic literally called “The Golem of Gotham” - which regardless of the Jewishness of the heroes, does call upon a specifically Jewish folktale in its telling. And then there is the whole can of worms that is Harley Quinn. So much to say - Gotham is not new to Jews. Jews have been there for a while.

So to summarize - saying that Whistle is the FIRST Jewish Superhero in Gotham - let alone DC… well...it feels like its a stretch to say that it was the first Jewish story in Gotham. But regardless, my understanding is that this was the first story in which the Jewish background of the character would be explicitly included on the page, and not just hinted at based on a last name, a New York accent, or random Yiddish words.

And to be fair, Whistle does in fact have many elements that are specifically and openly Jewish - from the question of what counts as a Tikkun Olam, to stopping by a deli, to pictures of local synagogues in the background. It seems we have now learned the name of Gotham’s (new to this book) once Jewish neighborhood. The question is - does this make the story a Jewish story? Is this a story about a superhero who happens to be Jewish? Is this a Jewish superhero story? Is there a difference?

I can’t promise answers - but I think this is an interesting place to see those questions in practice - and maybe it will help you find answers for yourself.

As far as what the story itself is actually about - Willow Zimmerman is a 16 year old at Down River High School in Gotham. She is an activist who regularly stands outside with signs, tries to get people to sign petitions, marches for causes, and is generally passionate about getting more funding for education in the city and generally fighting Gotham City’s corruption. As the story starts, older buildings in Down River are getting “greened” - taken over by plants in a way that also attacks the people inside the buildings - and this is threatening the neighborhood. In Part One we also learn that Willow’s mother has a brain tumor, is a professor of Jewish Culture and History at a local university, and recently lost her job teaching due to the progression of the cancer. Without a job, or health insurance, she has stopped chemo and now Willow needs to take on a job to help out.

The Analysis

Of the eight categories I highlighted in the previous post linked above, the most relevant one to this story is Jewish on the Surface. The nature of this category of story is understanding what specifically obvious Jewish elements are in the story and whether it is sufficient to make the story Jewish. For example, does any story with a Jewish character become a Jewish story? - I would argue no - because if it did that would make Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice a Jewish story and well….if you are not familiar with that reference - maybe that’s an essay for another time.

In my previous post, I cited a set of four factors, by Jewish ethnologist Dov Noy regarding what makes a distinctly Jewish tale. I am going to summarize them as the below. Regardless - this category is asking whether there is enough mentions of a Jewish nature to make the story a distinctly Jewish story simply due to the nature of the setting, character, etc. Our question in this analysis is whether this is simply name dropping Judaism, truly integrating Jewish elements into the story, or tokenizing Judaism without truly representing it.

Jewish Time:

This factor is asking about whether the story occurs within the framing of Jewish time - such as during a holiday. And in this case, the answer is no. There was no conversations of actions that needed to be done, or refrained from, due to the nature of a Jewish holiday or other Jewish time. There was no conversation in which Jewish time shaped or affected the characters, plot, etc.

Jewish Place:

This factor is asking whether the story occurs in a distinctly Jewish setting - and the answer in this case is yes. While the story takes place in Gotham - not specifically Jewish - it is located more particularly in the neighborhood of Down River which “used to be an all-Jewish neighborhood and had more than five hundred synagogues back in, like, 1915.” Early on, as we are learning about the setting and Willow, Willow visits Rosen Brothers Delicatessen to order Reuben sandwiches. Later on, when Willow is making a difficult decision, she visits Remson Street Synagogue - explaining to the reader that while her mother is observant - this is the first time Willow has actually visited this space. Granted - not every location and setting of the story has a Star of David in the corner, but the integration of Jewish spaces, in a Jewish neighborhood, from her being a regular at a Deli, to the random Bagel place in the background - does - in my mind- give it a sense of a Jewish Place.

Jewish Character:

This factor is whether the protagonist is Jewish - and this is also a yes. Willow is not an observant Jew - but she clearly identifies as Jewish and is being raised as such. Her mother is referred to as more observant, as well as being a professor of Jewish Culture and History. Willow and her mother have conversations about whether stopping to try to help someone (in this case - someone who was caught in an attack in which a local building was vandalized) counts as a mitzvah. The language of helpful acts as mitzvahs continues when Willow is preparing for the big fight and final showdown. Her dog and sidekick Lebowitz offers to just bite the villain, and Willow’s response is “This is supposed to be a mitzvah, you big goof. Not a massacre.” Willow is framing her acts as a superhero as a mitzvah. To me - this supports the fact that Willow is seeing the world through a Jewish lens as she understands her Judaism and is a Jewish character. However, I am not sure whether a traditional understanding of mitzvot would agree. We would all agree it’s a good deed - but as I understand it - a mitzvah is a good deed- but not all good deeds are mitzvot. I was taught that mitzvot specifically refer to the 613 mitzvot derived by rabbis from the torah. Sure - it is possible that one of her good deeds fulfilled one of those 613 mitzvot - but it is unclear which one she thought she was fulfilling by being a superhero and saving her neighborhood.

As previously mentioned, at one point when she is reflecting on difficult choices, she chooses to do so in a synagogue. While there, she ponders a proverb her mother likes to quote “A righteous person falls seven times and still gets back up.” (Proverbs 24:16). Her Judaism is also in the small details - specifically multiple mentions of Jewish food - bagels, and babka, and rugelach, and as mentioned before Reuben sandwiches. It is clear that the effort is being made in the spaces that it can that this is intended to be a Jewish character with a Jewish background that influences her choices.

Jewish Teaching:

This factor is whether the message of the story is connected to Jewish ethics - and this would seem to some to be a determining and important factor. After all - just because a story name drops Jewish things should not be enough if the teaching of the story is against Judaism. Now in this case, the teaching is one that is common among many Young Adult superhero stories. It is the story of a teenager stepping up to help their community in a way that only they can. In the case of Willow, older buildings in her community are getting vandalized (“greened”) - and she starts fighting back. As we mentioned before, she is viewing this as a way to fulfill a mitzvah and so she sees it as Jewish - but it is unclear whether it truly is a mitzvah as all Jews would understand it. And this lack of clarity does lend itself to being more a general superhero story in Jewish clothing - rather than a truly Jewish story.

This origin story leads her to stepping up to generally try to part of helping her neighborhood of Down River. While, at the highest level, this could be a generic superhero storyline, in practice, the message of the story is put loosely Jewish terms - specifically mitzvot as previously discussed, as well as tikkun olam. As the story ends, Willow and her mother have a conversation about tikkun olam, and what makes someone a good person, and whether it is okay to lie. They decide that good people feel a responsibility to fix the world, that lying does not make someone unredeemable, and that people deserve second chances. As someone who is not a rabbi - I cannot say as to whether this was characterized properly or not. I do understand it to be a bit more specific than “repairing the world” and I am not sure that a traditional understanding would dismiss lying in the way it is framed in the scene. However - a quick review of Sefaria does indicate that tikkun olam is framed as focused on “societal needs, emphasizing social justice and communal well-being”. I think we can say that regardless of whether a rabbi agrees with this framing - this story appears to be in some conversation with what tikkun olam can or should be. And for me - that seems sufficient for now.

Conclusion:

Based on these four factors, this story does appear to be a Jewish-ish story based on being Jewish on the Surface - though there is a question over whether the teaching is truly a Jewish one - or whether it is just a generic superhero origin story clothed in Jewish language. I can see it going both ways - and I understand why that may change someone’s final answer. But for me - this does appear to be a Jewish story based on this category and the overall factors. I want to give this the benefit of the doubt. It is a close call though - and I do think that I would understand if someone else - based on the same facts- argued that instead this story is simply tokenizing a Jewish perspective without truly integrating it as a Jewish story. One arguing this could easily point to the Jewish Teaching factor and the only superficial discussion of mitzvot and tikkun olam. I would propose that maybe that is the role of the Jewish Teaching factor in general. If a story has Jewish elements but no Jewish morals or ethics or general teaching - than maybe it is simply tokenization. And so our conclusion here depends on whether we accept that teaching as a truly Jewish one.

Other Categories

For the sake of completeness, the other categories of ways in which a story might be Jewish include the following:

• Jewish Humor - While the book - as a young adult graphic novel - is relatively light-hearted - it is not a comedy. There are more comedic moments - but not enough for me to say that the humor is a key part of the book, and not enough for me to characterize the nature of that humor. As such, there is no analysis from this perspective.

• Wish Fulfilment - The nature of this category is using a story to explore a wish fulfilment of a Jewish nature (such as what if the Holocaust didn’t happen). While many young kids may wonder “what if I was a superhero?” or “what if I got superpowers?” or even “what if I could take to dogs?” (Willow’s superpower) - I am not sure this is a uniquely Jewish form of wish fulfilment. I would think that to fit into this category either the nature of the wish or the way it is fulfilled must be Jewish in nature - and I am not convinced either apply to this story. As such, there is no analysis from this perspective.

• The Jewish What-If - This category is exploring Jewish questions and using the story to illustrate the question and answer - such as questions of halacha in strange new worlds. The requirement here is to raise a question that feels like it could’ve come from the Talmud - if only the rabbis of the Talmud had access to the internet and Hollywood - and then having a story that incorporates that question. As a young adult graphic novel, taking place within the context of the DC Universe - which is already relatively established - it makes sense that this does not come up and is not the focus. For example, if Willow was an observant Jew - and had to deal with questions such as Sabbath observance - I would be considering this category more and analyzing how it handled such questions. However, one thought that does occur to me that maybe in a world in which superpowers are known and normal - there may very well be actual halacha regarding whether being a superhero is a mitzvah. Maybe in the world of DC, there is an actual rabbinical ruling of whether one is required to become a superhero if one is granted superpowers. This would address my question regarding whether her actions truly count as a mitzvot in the traditional definition. However, as Willow is never seen consulting a rabbi, we can only guess.

• Jewish Folklore - This category asks whether the story references or incorporates stories of Jewish Folklore. As an example, a popular element of Jewish Folklore is the golem and there are many stories which take inspiration from and provide their own twist on those tales. If there were mentions of such folklore, I would be considering how integrated such mentions were, whether the story was in conversation with the folklore, or whether it was just taken without context. One downside here is that I am not an expert on Jewish folklore and still have research to do on this regard - but nothing stood out to me as any mention or reference to Jewish Folklore- so I will skip this analysis for now. If there are mentions in Jewish folklore of talking animals or something specifically dog related, I would revisit this - as Willow’s superpowers are dog related - but at this time I am unaware of any such references.

• Midrash and Aggadah - Similar to the previous category - this category asks whether the story is in conversation with Midrash and Aggadah - either by referencing famous stories or by providing its own commentary through biblical allusions, etc. The only biblical allusion I found was the proverb used during her reflection scene in the synagogue - “A righteous person falls seven times and still gets back up.” (Proverbs 24:16). This is worth some analysis here but I expect it will be a quick one. When I googled this phrase - what came up on google was all Christian websites -as it appears to be closest to the King James translation in phrasing. However - I did eventually find an equivalent in Sefaria - so I can confirm this is in the Tanakh in some form. In my opinion, the mentioning/quoting of a proverb simply as part of a character’s reflection is not sufficient to be a story which illustrates, comments on, or continues Rabbinic commentary. In the end, the mention of this proverb does provide more as proof of the Jewish nature of the character - despite the use of the King James translation. If the proverb was more directly tied into the theme of the story in some way, I might have thought differently.

• Jewish Character Typing - This category is a discussion of whether any of the characters felt like they were based on an archetype from Jewish canon. For example, Superman with his space basket to be raised by adoptive parents can be argued to have some Moses vibes. The closest I could see here was potentially Esther - as a young Jewish girl who is taking on a double identity. However, this is clearly not the case in this story - as Willow’s avenue for saving her community is not through revealing herself to a husband she married (with minimal choice) but rather through gaining a superpower and partnering with a dog sidekick. If we were to accept this as an Esther character type - than any Jewish female superhero would be Esther - and I feel like that may be a bit too broad. I am open to suggestions for other potential characters - but nothing jumps out to me so I am skipping this category today as well.

• Jewish Journey- In my first blog post, I referenced People Love Dead Jews by Dara Horn and based on her chapter “Fictional Dead Jews”, I proposed that maybe a Jewish type of storytelling is one in which “Jewish stories end before that promise and happy ending but are about the endurance and resilience of working towards it anyway. Maybe Jewish stories are about learning to accept the burden that comes with living in the actual world, accepting the responsibilities and requirements that come with it”. This is something I am still exploring so I do not have much analysis ready here - but from what we have so far my approach would be to look for 1) a metaphorical promised land, 2) the obstacles of the real world and 3) an unfulfilled ending. This story does have all three from my view (see below). However, I am still not sure that having an unfulfilled ending requires a story to be Jewish. My concern is specifically that on its own - without any other Jewish elements - it could just be an unfulfilled story. Maybe this is necessary but not sufficient? I leave my view of these three elements here for your review and consideration - but this analysis leaves me questioning my framework more than making any conclusion on the story through this lens. Also - spoiler warning for the unfulfilled ending.

  • The metaphorical Promised Land: an uncorrupt Gotham City, and more specifically a properly funded Down River - including a properly funded Down River school system, etc.

  • The obstacles of the Real World: differing opinions over how to get to a better Down River, more immediate needs - like health care, and rent, and other financial realities, illness and the limits of health insurance, the limits and burdens of employment while ill or taking care of someone who is ill,

  • An Unfulfilled Ending: Willow keeps her job working for E. Nigma running illegal casinos - knowing that it is illegal - at least for now because her and her mother need the money. Willow continues to fight the good fight and protect her neighborhood - but it is still underfunded and the city is still corrupt. While she has stopped Poison Ivy’s plot - she has not stopped Riddler.

Reflections and Conclusion

Based on the category of Jewish on its Surface, this does appear to be a Jewish story (with some room for disagreement over whether it is an authentic definition of Tikkun Olam - but recognizing it to be part of a larger conversation). This analysis leads me to believe that while not all elements of Jewish on its Surface are required - there is a minimum threshold. For example, just a Jewish protagonist is not enough. This has me considering whether a Jewish Teaching is required at minimum and this is something I will have to continue to ponder going forward.

It also raised some important questions and caveats for me regarding the idea of a Jewish Journey - or whether there is a particularly Jewish shaped plot and whether that would ever be sufficient to make a story Jewish. More building out of a framework and analysis is needed here.

Let me know what you think. Where do you think the line between having simply a Jewish cameo and the Jewish elements really making it a Jewish on its surface? Is a Jewish Teaching required for any Jewish Story? What do you think should count as a Jewish Journey? And if you have read the story - are there any elements I missed?

This is supposed to be a conversation. I look forward to hearing your feedback.