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Hanukkah starts today!

While I was already planning on discussing Batwoman this holiday season, the start of Hanukkah happened to perfectly coincide with a Sunday. Thus, we’re talking about her today!

While I am not Jewish myself, I do hope I bring justice to the religion and this character today by shining on a light on them.

Batwoman became a favorite of mine when she appeared in one of the Arrowverse crossovers. She met Oliver, Kara, and Barry when Barry and Oliver swapped identities. They ended up in Gotham, and she bailed them out of jail. Mostly to send them on their way as she believed Gotham did not need Oliver Queen problems.

Which fair. I’d want him out of my city too.

Ruby Rose, who I’d originally seen on Orange is the New Black was a favorite actress of mine and I enjoyed her take on the character during the crossover. Before this appearance, I knew nothing about Batwoman.

So I looked into her.

While the character has not existed long, she has made an impact on the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the Jewish community. While we have characters in the Arrowverse – for example – that are Jewish such as Martin Stein and Felicity Smoak, it is a whole other thing to have a superhero as a Jewish character.

They’re the leads! The one the story is about while everyone else is supporting characters.

Even Stein started off as support for the Flash before transitioning to Legends of Tomorrow. A show which is more of an ensemble cast rather than having one hero be the focus. It’s shared.

So, while Stein’s religious beliefs are mentioned, everyone else celebrates Christmas effectively drowning him out.

Batwoman’s comic run was short-lived, but she’s making a return next year with her own comic. This is an absolute perfect opportunity to allow her to grow as a character and get some holiday specials under her belt like other characters have gotten.

See Superman who had a Christmas comic almost every year for a while. Spider-Man has countless Christmas specials in his animated series. Arrowverse always had a Christmas special for their shows before the winter break. Except for Supergirl who traditionally focused on Thanksgiving with one year as exception.

Also, I’m going to take a moment and vent about something that bothered me when Kate Kane headlined her own TV series in the Arrowverse.

She didn’t get a holiday episode!

Without fail, the other shows acknowledged the holiday season every year. Unless they didn’t air during that period of time, which makes sense. Such as Superman & Lois which aired after the holidays.

However, during the very first season, Batwoman premieres during the holiday season.

Did she get a Hanukkah episode? NO!

What the eff? Seriously, the double standard bothered me so much when it aired and there was no holiday episode to be seen. I wanted one so badly. I was excited for it.

This was the moment that she could showcase the holiday in all it’s glory. Allow a popular show attached to a popular franchise it’s moment to show the main character celebrate her holiday. Not another Christmas episode.

Not with some Jewish traditions shoved in the back, because oh yeah, Felicity is Jewish. We can’t forget to mention it during the Christmas focused episode, so we appear politically correct.

I was so mad.

I had not been a fan of Batwoman for very long. Maybe around a year at this point. I’d read her comics. I knew her history. The show even explained that she was Jewish. She had a Bat Mitzvah. It’s not like they avoided her religion entirely on the show.

How did the people feel who didn’t get to see themselves represented as the hero of the story? How did people who have been fans of Batwoman for years feel that she didn’t get what the other characters got?

Arrow had his holidays. Flash his. Supergirl had both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Legends celebrated the holidays together.

Why didn’t Batwoman?

Why couldn’t they be bothered?

I mean, some Flash holiday episodes don’t even focus directly on the holiday. Instead, there’s just decorations around. A tree here, garland there. Why couldn’t you have done something?

It bothered me.

Because I understand that sometimes you can’t or shouldn’t stick to the source material. For example, if you tell me a Spider-Man story and you skip the Gwen Stacy clone debacle, I’d understand that.

But if you’re telling me a Spidey story and you decide he’s no longer from Queens but Boston, well, I have a problem with that. You’re changing or avoiding a fundamental piece of the character and I’m not cool with that.

To me, it felt like a cope out.

Paired with the fact that Kate Kane is then essentially dropped from her own show for an entirely new character. Who – while awesome in her own right – I came for Kate Kane’s story. It’s never been shown on TV before.

I didn’t come here for a new character, I came for Kate Kane, and her story. Live from the comic pages.

Which should include her heritage and religion.

Something, I would also like to argue should be included more so in Batman’s story. His mother is Jewish, effectively making him entirely Jewish regardless of the Wayne’s religion. While he may choose to celebrate Christmas, I feel to honor the mother he lost, he would uphold something of his Jewish religion.

Which is clearly important to the Kanes as illustrated by Kate Kane. Whose father is brother to Bruce’s mother. There should be more nods to that now that Kate Kane’s backstory has been fleshed out.

It doesn’t need to be major, but I’d like something. Because Bruce has dedicated his entire life and personality to the parents he lost. It seems only right he would like a menorah during Hanukkah, at least in memory of his mother.

In case, you can’t tell, it really p*ssed me off that Kate didn’t get a holiday episode during the first season of Batwoman. I also have no idea what followed for the series considering I stopped watching it. Like I said, I wanted Kate Kane, not Ryan Wilder. Her story should have been told regardless of the lead actress leaving.

Anyway, while the TV show utterly failed to give Kate Kane a chance to celebrate Hanukkah, the comics never did. There are several scenes of Kate celebrating.

I sincerely hope that news series helmed by Greg Rucka who did the initial run of Batwoman will continue displaying her Jewish roots. I never want to see them taken from her or treated less than. It’s freaking annoying when it is.

Like this is not a complicated task.

For those who are reading this who do not celebrate Hanukkah, take a moment to understand the holiday.

Hanukkah is the Hebrew word for dedication. This holiday can also be called the ‘Festival of Lights.’ For eight nights a menorah is lit with each night lighting a new candle each night to celebrate God’s faithfulness through war and persecution.

The candles are a call back to a temple that was defiled by a madman, claiming it for Greek Gods instead. However, the temple was reclaimed by priests, the Maccabees and there appeared to be only enough oil to light the temple menorah for one day, it miraculous lasted eight days. This was important because time was required to purify more oil to continue lighting the temple menorah.

In honor of that, Hanukkah is celebrated.

Every year, those who celebrate are reminded that their ancestors never gave up. Never gave into the pressure to relinquish their beliefs. They’ve fought and endured. It is an incredible story of faith and belief in the pursuit of freedom.

I think it should be studied and understood more often.

So, even if you are not Jewish, I believe that in the next eight days when eating something fried as is part of the tradition of Hanukkah, take a moment and appreciate everything Jews have gone through to arrive here today. Everything they’re still going through.

Everything you may take for granted.

And be grateful for the characters who allow you the chance to see yourself as the hero of the story. As part of the world. I do not think they’re appreciated enough.

Thank you for reading. Aside from any corrections on any part of the history of Hanukkah, I will block hateful comments.

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