Superhero Kate Kane, better known as Batwoman, was given a notably Jewish funeral following her presumed death in Sunday night's episode of the CW show Batwoman.
Kane's fate follows a plane crash that saw her to be presumed dead in the second season. As many have noted, the Jewish nature of the funeral was considerably overt. Rather than being buried in a typical ornate and cushioned coffin, Kane was laid to rest in a simple wooden coffin, marked only with a single Star of David.
The mourners also recited Jewish prayers and were all seen wearing kippot on their heads.
While Halacha dictates that Jews are required to be simply buried into the ground without a coffin, US law requires the use of coffins. As such, most Jews lay themselves to rest in just wooden coffins so they will biodegrade naturally, rather than decay and rot in a coffin made of non-biodegradable materials.
Judaism has always been an integral part of Kane's character since her debut in the comics in 2006. Since then, she has been a trailblazer in DC Comics as one of the most prominent Jewish and lesbian superheroes.
But what often goes overlooked is that not only is Kane Jewish, but she is also the maternal cousin to Bruce Wayne, also known as one of DC's most iconic superheroes, Batman (as in, her father is the brother of Batman's mother, Martha).
The implications of this revelation means that not only is Batwoman Jewish, but so too is Batman, by virtue of having a Jewish mother (traditionally, halachic authorities have considered Judaism to be inherited matrilineally, meaning if one's mother is Jewish, so are they).
Jewishness, however, has largely been left out of Batman's depictions in the comics, with the character having been depicted in the past as a lapsed Episcopalian.
However, Judaism has played a role in the background. Batman's creators, Bill Finger and Bob Kane, were both Jewish, as were many of the early comic creators in the Golden Age of Comics. And in his depiction in the TV series Gotham, which told the story of a young Bruce Wayne before he became Batman, the character was played by Orthodox Jewish actor David Mazuz.
But on occasion, Batman's Jewish heritage does shine through on the pages. This was most evident in December 2020's Detective Comics #1033, written by Peter Tomasi and drawn by Brad Walker. On the last page of this arc-ending issue, Bruce Wayne is seen going to the grave of his faithful butler and father figure, Alfred Pennyworth. But rather than leaving flowers, as many would do, Batman instead leaves a single stone atop the tombstone, in accordance with Jewish custom.