Is Bruce Wayne Jewish?

[daBronzeBomma]

Reminder that Bruce is Jewish, even if he isn't practicing, and thus having the wedding in a church wouldn't make much sense. Unless they specify that it's what Selina wants; I'm not positive what her religion is or if she even subscribes to one.

Jewish law, dude. There isn't any such thing as "half-Jewish". Your mom is Jewish? You're Jewish. Your dad is Jewish but your mom isn't? You aren't considered Jewish.

From a 2014 jewishweek.timesofisrael.com article on the matter:

"The final piece in this puzzle is “Batwoman” #25, written by Marc Andreyko and released a few months ago. In it, Kane talks to Bruce Wayne, and mentions that they’re first cousins. That would make his mother her paternal aunt, so if Kane’s father is Jewish, so was Martha. And if Martha is Jewish, that makes Batman Jewish by strict halachic standards.

Last week, comics journalist Alex Jaffe noticed this concurrence, and outlined it on his Tumblr, but it hasn’t picked up much traction. It’s likely because the odds that the folks at DC realized what they were doing was very, very small.

As Tumblr user Arielle posted on her blog (sic), “i dont want to have to dig through implications implied by other implications and layers of reading comprehension for a mere shred of maybe representation and give dc a pat on the back for it. if he’s jewish they better say he’s jewish outright im not here to grasp at straws im a jew who wants explicit representation.”

Excellent point, Arielle. And there’s also the unavoidable fact that the grave Kate Kane overlooks in the comic in question is unmistakably cross-shaped. “Batwoman” is a series in DC Comics’ total overhaul of its publications known as the “New 52,” and perhaps even Batwoman's Jewishness has fallen by the wayside."


This is a nothingburger.

Bruce Wayne is not Jewish. DC has never confirmed this and likely weren't even aware of the strict halachic standards at the time they made the connection with Kate.

It's 2017, and likely 2019 by wedding time. DC gets zero credit for merely suggesting in a figure-it-out-yourself way that Bruce Wayne may be Jewish. Nope. If Bruce Wayne is Jewish, show me where he even acknowledges on-panel or in any other medium. If he hasn't, then it doesn't exist for him as a character.

Because as it stands, Bruce is ethnically more Scottish than anything (back to Robert the Bruce) and religiously fonder of hanging around Christian imagery. Hell, look at BATMAN FOREVER's flashback funeral: the priest is chanting a Roman Catholic prayer over Thomas and Martha's caskets.

If I had to guess which of the major religions Bruce Wayne was raised as (he's definitely not practicing anything as an adult), it would be pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic.

Again, all this is a long-winded way to say this is a nothingburger.

Bruce Wayne officially being Jewish would be a media bombshell (one that Fox News would explode over). Nary a peep. They're not making any changes of this magnitude to their #1 moneymaker. Sorry.

[Caivu]

Because as it stands, Bruce is ethnically more Scottish than anything (back to Robert the Bruce)

Neither of those things as any bearing on whether someone is Jewish.

[sakuyamons]

I'm Catholic, but as far as I'm aware, if Martha Wayne is Jewish, that makes Bruce Jewish.

I might be wrong, though.

[daBronzeBomma]

Neither of those things as any bearing on whether someone is Jewish.

Except, once again: fictional characters owned by corporations who have their histories erased or altered on a regular basis.

If DC doesn't come out and have Bruce Wayne ever explicitly say on-panel that he is Jewish, then he is not.

[SiegePerilous02]

I think Martha only became Jewish because Morrison made her a Kane, and Rucka established them as Jewish. If Martha was established as Jewish before that, I think it needs to be pointed out by someone more knowledgeable.

But really, it all goes back to the uneeded family connection between Bruce and Kate, and now Bruce suddenly dated his Aunt Kathy and nobody thought that was weird.

[Caivu]

Except, once again: fictional characters owned by corporations who have their histories erased or altered on a regular basis.

If DC doesn't come out and have Bruce Wayne ever explicitly say on-panel that he is Jewish, then he is not.

This doesn't matter at all. They don't have to be explicit about it. Martha Wayne was Jewish, therefore Bruce is. That's how it works. It also doesn't matter if Bruce is observant or not.

[daBronzeBomma]

This doesn't matter at all.

Wrong.

They don't have to be explicit about it.

Yes. They. Do.

Martha Wayne was Jewish, therefore Bruce is. That's how it works.

Martha Wayne is fictional, as is Bruce Wayne. Their backgrounds can change on a corporate whim without notice. THAT's how it works.

It also doesn't matter if Bruce is observant or not.

This we agree on, although for likely entirely different reasons.

[thwhtGuardian]

Except, once again: fictional characters owned by corporations who have their histories erased or altered on a regular basis.

If DC doesn't come out and have Bruce Wayne ever explicitly say on-panel that he is Jewish, then he is not.

Why do you care so much about this?

[Caivu]

Martha Wayne is fictional, as is Bruce Wayne. Their backgrounds can change on a corporate whim without notice. THAT's how it works.

Why does this matter? Just because a character is fictional doesn't mean you can't say specific things about them.

Why do you care so much about this?

No kidding...

[daBronzeBomma]

Why do you care so much about this?

Because I hate it when companies don't have the guts to take a stand and instead do this "stealth-ID" nonsense so they can have their cake and eat it too. This maximum plausible deniability approach so they won't get the blowback they would get if they just announced that Bruce is Jewish, deal with it. But they don't have the guts.

Or more likely, the brains to realize how making Kate related to Bruce in that particular way could technically affect Bruce in some fans eyes ... and those fans would then want explicitly stated proof and not this wink-wink b.s.

But, Bruce's "Jewishness" (and those quotes stay there until further notice) will continue to ultimately mean nothing if DC doesn't take a stand one way or the other.

[daBronzeBomma]

Why does this matter? Just because a character is fictional doesn't mean you can't say specific things about them.

But it does mean that anything said about them can be changed instantly.

Nu Wally West says hi.

[Caivu]

But it does mean that anything said about them can be changed instantly.

So? That has no bearing on the present. To use a simple example, Bruce could be blonde after the next reboot for all we know. But that doesn't mean we don't know that his current hair color is black.

[daBronzeBomma]

Meh, just don't expect any aspect of his so-called "Jewish" heritage to be explicitly referenced by DC.

If it stays unexpressed then it, for all intents and purposes, does not exist.

[Celgress]

Who cares? Being Jewish or not Jewish has zero bearing on the character of Batman as he has never worn his religion on his sleeve. Because of such, I've always viewed the character as nonreligious if anything.

[daBronzeBomma]

Who cares? Being Jewish or not Jewish has zero bearing on the character of Batman as he has never worn his religion on his sleeve. Because of such, I've always viewed the character as nonreligious if anything.

Actually, I don't think anyone here is arguing his religious beliefs.

I'm pretty sure he doesn't have any firmly or even loosely held organizational beliefs as an adult and isn't a member of any church or synagogue (or mosque or temple or whatever).

And since being Jewish has (fairly uniquely) both ethnic and belief aspects, I think at this point it's only the ethnic aspect in debate, not the belief aspect (Bruce flunks that one outright, as he would any organized religion).