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At a Jewish comic book festival, fans and creators take time to celebrate joy
(New York Jewish Week) — More than 400 comic book lovers flocked to Manhattan’s Center for Jewish History on Sunday for the first-ever Jewish Comics Experience, a pop culture convention that was billed as the “ultimate comics and pop culture event.”
Some 35 comics creators participated in the inaugural JewCE, including “Sin City” creator Frank Miller and underground comics legend Barbara “Willy” Mendes. Others participating were artists who specialize in depicting Torah stories, creators of Jewish superheroes, autobiographical writers who just happen to be Jewish and non-Jewish authors and artists who create Jewish content.
“It’s high time that Jewish creators are recognized for their contribution to comic culture, a culture that was for the most part created by Jewish people,” JewCE co-founder Fabrice Sapolsky told the New York Jewish Week.
Though the event was planned long before Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the subsequent war, the continued violence in the Middle East and its reverberating effects was resonant across the convention. In myriad panel conversations and in one-on-one discussions, the situation in Israel, increased antisemitism across the globe and the acute need for Jewish joy were frequent themes. For many creators and attendees, “showing up” and supporting the Jewish community was at the top of mind, while others noted the camaraderie among individuals who all shared a a love of Jewish culture.
According to Miriam Mora, the co-founder of JewCE and the director of programming at the Center for Jewish History, the difficult moment made a Jewish comic convention more relevant than ever. “Comics are worth paying attention to because there’s no better way to lift up our community and to fight antisemitism than to educate people about Jewish contributions, Jewish identities, Jewish stories than to celebrate them,” she said.
Indie “comix” icon Mendes, best known for the classic comic “It Ain’t Me, Babe,” agreed. “We just need people to know how wonderful we are because there’s a lot of propaganda out there that we’re terrible,” she told the New York Jewish Week. “We need to counteract that with proof that Jews are wonderful, and that’s what this is all about — and that’s why I’m so happy to be part of the convention.”
The history of Jews and comics is a long and rich one, beginning with the earliest comic book creators — nearly all Jews — to the continued presence of Jewish stories in both popular comics and more esoteric ones. For example, Marvel briefly had a Jewish Black Panther character, while, more recently, author Yehudi Mercato drew upon his Mexican-Jewish family for his middle-grade graphic memoir, “Chunky.” Meanwhile, some traditional Jewish texts have gotten the graphic novel treatment, including Mendes’ recent takes on the weekly Torah portion.
Indie comics icon Barbara “Willy” Mendes poses in front of her mural depicting Torah portions. (Elizabeth Karpen)
JewCE was created to spotlight this rich, diverse history, and the convention was born out of smaller Jewish comic cons that Sapolsky had organized in 2016 and 2018 at Congregation Kol Israel in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. In 2022, Mora reached out to Sapolsky to propose the idea of a larger Jewish comic con at the Center for Jewish History. A lifelong comic book fan herself, Mora thought the center, with its central location near Union Square, was the perfect locale.
“I always regretted that I couldn’t do more Jewish comic cons and Miriam said the magic words. She said ‘let’s be creative,’” Sapolsky told New York Jewish Week.
That creativity was on full display Sunday as creators spoke at panels such as “Jewish Folklore in Comics,” “Queering Jewish Comics” and “Getting Past Ashkenormativity and Secularism in Comics.” Jewish publishers sold a variety of books and individual creators signed their work and mingled with fans. One table was run by the mother of a writer of a Holocaust education comic who couldn’t make the trip from Los Angeles.
Miriam Libicki, an artist and author, traveled many hours from her home in Vancouver to attend the inaugural event. “I knew I really would love to be part of this new con starting up,” Libicki, the author of “But I Live: Three Stories of Child Survivors of the Holocaust,” told the New York Jewish Week. “All the creators are so many people that I’m huge fans of, or colleagues and just Jews in comics who have found each other.”
For some attendees, JewCE was their entry into the world of Jewish comics.
Friends Tracy Weiss and Chavi Kahn had planned to see the Yeshiva University Museum exhibit “The Golden Path: Maimonides Across Eight Centuries” at the center when they discovered it closed for convention day. So instead, they attended JewCE, describing it as “completely out of our comfort zones.” And yet, they were surprised at how much they learned about the Jewish origins of the comic industry.
“You could really see the theme of trying to rise above our enemies and challenges,” Kahn said. “And I think it’s particularly resonant in this moment when there are so many challenges, and the depth of this expression is really impressive.”
In addition to the convention, a concurrent exhibit at the Center for Jewish History, “The Museum and Laboratory of the Jewish Comics Experience,” will be on view through the end of the year. Curated by Mora, the “museum” portion of the exhibit consists of five mini exhibits from the five partner organizations that make up the CJH. The Leo Baeck Institute, for example, has an exhibit on how superheroes fought fascism, while the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research’s exhibit is about Yiddish cartoons — as well as a reading library made up of hundreds of Jewish comics.
The laboratory, meanwhile, is an interactive, kid-friendly exhibit that allows museum-goers to try their hand at drawing comics and even dress up to become the Jewish superhero they’ve always dreamed of.
Miriam Mora, co-founder of JewCE and the director of programming at the Center for Jewish History, inside the concurrent exhibit The Museum and Laboratory of the Jewish Comics Experience. (Courtesy the Center for Jewish History)
A preview event on Saturday evening included the first-ever JewCie Awards, designed to highlight excellence in Jewish comics. Awards were handed out to numerous creatives for categories like best diverse representation, best historical narrative and best autobiographical comic. Among the winners were Neil Kleid, Asaf Hanuka and Dani Kolman, while famed satirist and Pulitzer Prize-winner Jules Feiffer and Eisner-nominated author Trina Robbins won the respective Macher and Macherke Awards for their lifetime contributions to comics.
Chari Pere, who was nominated as Artist of the Year, told the New York Jewish Week on Sunday that she relished the opportunity to connect with Jewish peers and to find new audiences for her work.
“This is something that people were hoping about for years,” Pere said of the Jewish con. “As a Jewish cartoonist, what could be better to be among your peers and to be able to have your Hebrew-themed illustrations and ‘Shabbos Tales’ comics featured in an environment where people know what that means?”
Artist and comedian Danielle Brody began drawing cartoons during the pandemic, and only recently became a comics creator, publishing the “Don’t Fuhaggadahboudit” Haggadah in the spring and the soon-to-be-released “Hot Hanukkah Book.”
She said she loved basking in the overwhelming Jewishness that surrounded the convention. “Sometimes when you’re a creator, it feels like sometimes you’re the only person doing something and it can get lonely,” she said. “So to be in a space where everyone’s a Jewish creator, and is channeling their Judaism into art and comics and telling stories, is everything.”
Chicago-based writer Paul Axel, author of “Rotten Roots,” emphasized that it was empowering to be in a space where participants shared both a love of comics and a love of Judaism — and how it was incredibly important to keep pushing for Jewish spaces in the comics industry.
“When you go to a comic con, everybody’s a comic book fan — everyone loves some aspect of that,” he said. “To have a second layer, a deeper layer of the shared culture and ethnicity and identity and religion adds so much more to the show.”
Sapolsky said that JewCE’s first run in New York City is far from its last. The exhibit will run through the end of 2023 and those it are already in talks to take the exhibit to other cities
“For us, creating JewCE is not the end of the journey, it’s the beginning of the journey,” Sapolsky said. “We’re ready to think that this event is bigger than any of us. It’s something that has to count because Jews do count, but on top of counting, it’s also important for non-Jews to discover who we are.”
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The post At a Jewish comic book festival, fans and creators take time to celebrate joy appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Daycare Run by Israel’s Oldest and Largest Food Charity Damaged in Iranian Missile Attack
Illustrative: Israeli soldiers work at an impact site following Iran’s missile strike on Israel, in Be’er Sheva, Israel, June 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen
A daycare center that is part of the oldest operating charity in Israel and the country’s largest food security non-governmental organization was among the sites damaged by the series of cluster bombs Iran launched at the Jewish state on Friday morning.
Colel Chabad’s daycare center in Be’er Sheva with hit with shrapnel that resulted in glass being scattered across the facility’s play areas and torn classroom walls, among other damage seen in photos shared on the daycare’s website. Colel Chabad said the building “suffered serious damage.” The daycare center was empty at the time and has been closed since the Iranian missile attacks began on June 13.
No one was injured in the missile strike. Surveillance camera footage shared by Colel Chabad show the exact moment the Iranian missile hit the daycare center.
Chabad is a Hasidic movement within Orthodox Judaism that operates globally and is headquartered in New York City.
Colel Chabad was established in 1788 by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the first Rebbe of Chabad. The daycare is part of the Ohr Chaya and Larisa Blavatnik chain of daycares and is one of 18 early childhood centers for underprivileged families across Israel that is operated by Colel Chabad.
“In our 230-year history, we have faced many challenges. Through our faith in G‑d, we find the strength to continue. This daycare will be repaired and reopened as soon as it is safe to do so,” said Colel Chabad Director, Rabbi Sholom Duchman, according to Chabad.org. “This building will once again be filled with laughter, learning, and the strength it provides to families in Be’er Sheva. It is our sacred duty — and we will not falter.”
Leaders at Colel Chabad are working to secure a different site for the daycare in anticipation for when security conditions allow it to reopen, Chabad.org reported.
“To see it torn apart by an act of war is devastating,” said Leah Blau, who is the director of the damaged daycare center. “We thank G‑d that no one was injured, but our work must continue — rebuilding not just walls, but a sense of security for our children.”
Colel Chabad’s soup kitchens have been closed since the Israel-Iran war began on June 13 due to safety concerns, but it has expanded its meal delivery services, particularly for elderly residents. The organization has also distributed emergency relief cards, which act like debit cards, worth 4,000 shekels each ($1,100) to those impacted by the war to help them buy basic necessities such as clothing and food. Colel Chabad said some 3,000 families have been displaced in areas including Ramat Gan, Bat Yam, Tel Aviv, and Rishon Letzion.
The post Daycare Run by Israel’s Oldest and Largest Food Charity Damaged in Iranian Missile Attack first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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‘Not Appropriate’ for Scottish Band Accused of Hezbollah Support to Perform at Glastonbury, Says British PM
Liam O’Hanna, also known as Liam Og O hAnnaidh and performing under the name of Mo Chara, walks outside the Westminster Magistrates’ Court, in London, Britain, June 18, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Chris J. Ratcliffe
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer admitted he does not think it would be “appropriate” for the Scottish hip hop trio Kneecap to perform at the upcoming Glastonbury Festival after one band member was charged for allegedly expressing support for the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization.
The Belfast-formed band is scheduled to perform on Saturday at the music festival, which takes place from June 25-29 at Worthy Farm in Pilton, located in Somerset, England.
In May, Kneecap member Liam O’Hanna – who goes by the stage name Mo Chara – was charged with a terrorism offense in the United Kingdom for displaying a flag in support of Lebanon-based Hezbollah during a concert in November 2024. During the same show, the 27-year-old also shouted “up Hamas, up Hezbollah,” allegedly expressing support for both UK-designated terrorist organizations in violation of the UK’s Terrorism Act of 2000.
Wearing a keffiyeh around his neck, O’Hanna appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court earlier this month along with his band members. Together they urged supporters to watch their performance at Glastonbury and declared “free, free Palestine.” O’Hanna was released on unconditional bail until his next court hearing on Aug. 20. Kneecap claimed they have “never supported” Hamas or Hezbollah.
When asked over the weekend by The Sun if he thought Kneecap should still perform at Glastonbury, Starmer replied: “No, I don’t, and I think we need to come down really clearly on this. I won’t say too much, because there’s a court case on, but I don’t think that’s appropriate.”
Kneecap responded to the prime minister’s remarks on Saturday in a social media post.
“You know what’s ‘not appropriate’ Keir?! Arming a f–king genocide,” they wrote, referring to Israel’s military campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in Gaza. Anti-Israel activists have falsely accused the Jewish state of perpetrating a genocide during its efforts to dismantle Hamas and rescue the hostages kidnapped by the terrorist group.
In its statement, Kneecap used an expletive against The Sun and expressed support for a group called Palestine Action, which describes itself on Instagram as a “direct action network dismantling British complicity in Israeli apartheid.” British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she will proscribe Palestine Action under anti-terror laws after members of the group on Friday broke into a Royal Air Force base in central England, where they damaged and vandalized two planes used for refueling and transport.
On Saturday, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch urged the BBC not to air Kneecap’s performance at Glastonbury. “The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda,” she wrote in a post on X. “One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act. As a publicly funded platform the BBC should not be rewarding extremism.”
Several UK government leaders and Members of Parliament, Jewish organizations, and pro-Israel supporters in the entertainment industry have also urged Glastonbury organizers to remove Kneecap from the festival’s lineup of performers because of their anti-Israel comments at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in May, alleged support for Hamas and Hezbollah, and incitement of violence against British MPs. The controversy surrounding Kneecap during the last several months has resulted in a number of their concerts being cancelled by organizers.
A BBC spokesman said decisions about what it will and will not broadcast from Glastonbury “will be made in the lead up to the festival,” as cited by The Sun.
The post ‘Not Appropriate’ for Scottish Band Accused of Hezbollah Support to Perform at Glastonbury, Says British PM first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Netanyahu Vows Israel Won’t Be Drawn Into War of Attrition as Iran Threatens US, Allies With Sleeper Cells, Proxy Strikes
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a Plenum session of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, in Jerusalem, June 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel would not be drawn into a war of attrition, even as Iranian threats of retaliation mounted across multiple fronts.
Declaring that Israel was “close to achieving the goals of the campaign,” Netanyahu’s message on Sunday came amid reports that Iran warned it may activate sleeper cells abroad and called on its proxies — from Hezbollah to the Houthis — to target Israeli and American assets in response to the US strikes on its nuclear program earlier in the day.
Also speaking Sunday, US President Donald Trump appeared to entertain the idea of regime change in Tehran — a notable departure from earlier statements by senior administration officials, who have insisted that removing the Islamic Republic’s leadership is not a strategic goal. Writing on Truth Social, he posted: “It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!”
Iran, for its part, warned that American bases across the Middle East could come under fire in response to US and Israeli operations.
“We won’t continue our actions beyond what is needed to achieve [the goals], but we also won’t finish too soon,” Netanyahu told reporters. “This is a regime that wants to wipe us out [and] this operation will eliminate the two concrete threats to our existence: the nuclear threat and the ballistic missile threat. We are moving towards achieving these goals and we are very, very close to completing them.”
Meanwhile, Israel has ramped up its airstrikes against Iran, with Defense Minister Israel Katz announcing on X on Monday that the Israeli military was attacking not only the regime’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs but also its infrastructure of domestic repression.
“In accordance with the directives of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and myself, the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] is now attacking with unprecedented force regime targets and government repression bodies in the heart of Tehran, including the Basij headquarters, Evin Prison for political prisoners and opponents of the regime, the ‘Destruction of Israel’ clock in Palestine Square, the internal security headquarters of the Revolutionary Guards, the Ideology Headquarters, and other regime targets,” Katz said. “For every shot fired at the Israeli home front, the Iranian dictator will be punished, and the attacks will continue with full force. We will continue to work to defend the home front and defeat the enemy until all war goals are achieved.”
Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that any site used by American forces — in the region or beyond — could now be targeted. “Any country in the region or elsewhere that is used by American forces to strike Iran will be considered a legitimate target for our armed forces,” he said in remarks published by the state-run IRNA. “America has attacked the heart of the Islamic world and must await irreparable consequences.”
American military intelligence reportedly detected Iran-backed Shi’ite militias in Iraq — and possibly Syria — preparing to launch attacks on US positions following the strikes, The New York Times reported on Sunday. Those groups include some of the most powerful paramilitary factions aligned with Tehran and have a well-established record of targeting American forces with rockets and explosive drones.
The US, meanwhile, ordered the evacuation of staff from its embassies in Iraq and Lebanon, and issued warnings to citizens worldwide about the risk of Iranian reprisal. The Department of Homeland Security cited “a heightened threat environment in the United States,” while the State Department urged Americans abroad to exercise increased caution due to “the potential for demonstrations against US citizens and interests abroad.”
According to a report by NBC News, Iran has privately warned the United States that it could activate sleeper cells on American soil in response to military action. While no specific plots have been publicly disclosed, the threat is being taken seriously by US authorities, who have increased domestic security measures and intelligence monitoring in anticipation of possible attacks. Vice President JD Vance said the administration is examining the possibility of an Iran-backed homeland attack “very closely.”
Beyond the threat of sleeper cells, Iranian retaliation is also expected to come through its regional proxies. On Sunday, Yemen’s Houthis declared that their forces were “ready to target US ships in the Red Sea” in response to the American strike on Iran’s nuclear sites. Washington’s entry into the war has also raised concerns over the possibility that Iran could disrupt global shipping by closing the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supply passes.
However, Sha’ul Chorev, a national security and maritime expert, said that such a move would have limited impact on American energy needs.
“The United States is expected to be largely unaffected by the closure,” he told The Algemeiner, pointing to long-term trends showing a steep decline in US energy imports from the region. In 2024, the US imported around 0.5 million barrels per day of crude oil and condensate from Persian Gulf countries, accounting for just 7 percent of total US imports and 2 percent of overall petroleum consumption. That figure was the lowest in nearly four decades, as domestic production and imports from Canada have increased.
“Regarding the Houthis, oil exports have minimal influence since alternative land routes for oil production in Yanbu exist,” Chorev added.
In Lebanon, Iran’s most heavily armed terror proxy, Hezbollah, is sitting out the fight for now, despite mounting pressure from hardliners in Tehran to escalate. A Hezbollah spokesperson told Newsweek on Sunday that “Iran is a strong country capable of defending itself … Hezbollah remains committed to all matters agreed upon since the ceasefire.”
Lt. Col. (Res.) Sarit Zehavi, a former IDF officer and founder of the Alma Center, said “clear messages were sent to Hezbollah through the Lebanese government that if it will join, it will suffer huge damages while it is already very weak and very busy in recovering since the previous war that ended in November.”
While Hezbollah retains the capacity to fire rockets from its dwindling supply or send small units across the border, it is not in a position to mount a large-scale assault or cause serious nationwide damage.
As a resident of northern Israel, Zehavi added a personal observation about the constant uncertainty facing civilians near the border. “Each time I hear the sirens go, I ask myself whether it’s Iran or Hezbollah and how much time do I have to go to the bomb shelter.”
Maj. (Res.) Shadi Khalloul, a researcher and expert on Hezbollah and Lebanese affairs, said the group is in a deep strategic bind. “There’s a chance they might react, but if they do, it could be the end for them and their community,” he told The Daily Brief. Hezbollah, he said, fears not only a devastating Israeli response but also retribution from Sunni jihadist forces — including those linked to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammad al-Julani) — who might seize the opportunity to enter the Bekaa Valley and strike Shia communities in revenge for Hezbollah’s role in the Syrian civil war.
“They know, if they interfere, this will be their end game,” he said. “Not reacting is their chance for survival.”
The post Netanyahu Vows Israel Won’t Be Drawn Into War of Attrition as Iran Threatens US, Allies With Sleeper Cells, Proxy Strikes first appeared on Algemeiner.com.