Siegel gave the packed auditorium a little history behind the Center for Jewish History, and explained that due to their collection of over 100 million documents on Jewish cultural heritage, and given the Jewish origin of the “greatest superhero ever created”, the Center was clearly an excellent location for a celebration of Superman. They addressed a diverse and enthusiastic crowd, eager to hear varying perspectives on Superman and take part in the discussion themselves. They were joined by Karen Green, Librarian for Ancient & Medieval History and Graphic Novels at Columbia University, who helped introduce the event, along with Judy Siegel, Director of Academic Programs at the Center for Jewish History.

Press releases hinted that several big names would take to the stage to discuss Superman’s history and significance, and some of the stellar participants included author Larry Tye, Jenette Kahn (former president of DC Comics), Jim Shooter(who wrote many Superman comics before taking up a position as editor at Marvel Comics, and founded Valiant Comics among other companies), Nicky Wheeler-Nicholson Brown (author and granddaughter of Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, co-founder of the company that became DC Comics), Sam Norich (publisher of The Jewish Daily Forward), and David Weiss(son of an life-model for drawings of Superman).

While guests were hoping for an informative and lively event, most were surprised by just how gala the afternoon turned out to be, addressing two pertinent questions: What exactly lies behind the enduring appeal of Superman and how does that relate to his Jewish origins? Tickets, the price of which included a copy of Larry Tye’s biography of Superman (SUPERMAN: THE HIGH-FLYING HISTORY OF AMERICA’S MOST ENDURING HERO), sold out well ahead of time, however, overflow seating with live cast footage of the discussion panel were still available on the day of the event. Though Superman’s cover-date advent in comics occurred in June of 1938, celebrations are gearing up early to take a look back at the Kryptonian’s origins and the impact he’s made on comics and popular culture three quarters of a century later. The Center for Jewish History hosted a celebration of the 2013 75 th birthday of the seminal superhero Superman on January 27 th with co-sponsorship from Columbia University Library.

Superman by Larry Tye