This year, Halloween (the formerly pagan and now American version of Purim, without the awesome we-survived-an-attempted-genocide-and-now-we-eat-triangular-cookies back story) falls at the end of the Jewish holiday season. Some folks like to dress up as frightening creatures, such as ghouls, goblins, witches, and politicians, and others go for characters from history or pop culture.
Good and Great costumes should not need to be explained; folks should just be able to know who you are dressed up as. Being asked to explain who or what you are dressed as should be the exception and not the rule. As an example, dressing as a character from your favorite obscure French New Wave film may mean something to you, but if you have to spend the entire office party, bar crawl, costume party, or trick-or-treating explaining what your costume is, it might take much of the fun out of it, which is something this writer definitely has never experienced before.
Here is a list and some tips of some Jewish characters and historical figures who will make your Halloween a bit more kosher and hopefully won’t get you stuck explaining your costume.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, also known as the Notorious RBG, was a Jewish Supreme Court justice and feminist trailblazer known for her famous collar. You’ll need a Judge’s robe and this collar.
Emma Lazarus/Statue of Liberty, is the Statue of Liberty Jewish? I would argue that she is and the addition of Emma Lazarus’s poem confirms it. You’ll need copious amounts of green face paint, a torch, and a crown.
Dr. Ruth Westheimer was a beloved radio talk show host and sex therapist. She was a veteran of Israel’s War of Independence and was under 5 feet tall. You’ll need a German accent, a radio mic, or maybe one of her books.
Fievel Mousekewitz is the main character in An American Tail, an animated film about a family of five mice who immigrate to America from their beleaguered shtetl. You’ll need an oversized fisherman or fiddler cap, a red tunic, blue pants, mouse ears, and whiskers to play Fievel.
Stan Lee, the founder of Marvel comics and is responsible for Spiderman, the X-Men, and the Avengers. (Many of those characters could also be kosher costumes). You’ll need a leather jacket, grey hair, cool aviators, and shout “Excelsior!” whenever possible.
A Kosher Pickle is a staple of any good Jewish deli. You’ll need a solid pickle costume or lots of green face paint and clothes.
Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock, the two actors who made these characters iconic, were both Jews and brought their Jewishness to the show. Leonard Nimoy, who played Mr. Spock, brought the priestly blessing into the mix as the Vulcan greeting live long and prosper. You’ll need Spock ears, communicators, and some interesting vocal pauses.
Albert Einstein, the father of relativity, is probably the most famous physicist ever. You’ll need a wig or the ability to tease your hair, a pipe, a scholarly jacket, and a German accent.
Couple Costumes
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff(it could be done solo) and Vice President Kamala Harris could be America’s first interfaith Jewish couple in the White House. You’ll need a campaign sign or a suit.
Bagel and Lox are the most Jewish(Ashkenazi) American food, besides a pickle. You’ll need one of these great costumes.
