Halo Kivnei Kushiyim: The Graphic Novel

A graphic interpretation of the haftorah for Acharei Mot/Kedoshim, from Amos 9: 7-15

(ז) הֲל֣וֹא כִבְנֵי֩ כֻשִׁיִּ֨ים אַתֶּ֥ם לִ֛י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נְאֻם־יהוה הֲל֣וֹא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הֶעֱלֵ֙יתִי֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וּפְלִשְׁתִּיִּ֥ים מִכַּפְתּ֖וֹר וַאֲרָ֥ם מִקִּֽיר׃

Amos 9:7

(7)To Me, O Israelites, you are Just like the Cushites—declares GOD.
True, I brought Israel up from the land of Egypt, but also the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir.

Here is the link to the full printable PDF of the Acharei Mot / Kedoshim Haftorah Graphic Novel and Activity Packet, designed to be Shabbat-friendly for middle-grade students who are typically bored in synagogue during the Torah reading and haftorah. The cartoons focus on the more anti-racist aspects of the Amos 9 haftorah with pop culture references handpicked for the middle school members of our minyan. Yes, we are very much like the Ethiopians / people of African ancestry. Yes, our stories have important similarities. What can we do about it? And does that mean we are always the good guys?

...God only smites the bad guys, right? We're not the bad guys, right? We're Jews!

עמוס ט׳:י׳

(י) בַּחֶ֣רֶב יָמ֔וּתוּ כֹּ֖ל חַטָּאֵ֣י עַמִּ֑י הָאֹמְרִ֗ים לֹֽא־תַגִּ֧ישׁ וְתַקְדִּ֛ים בַּעֲדֵ֖ינוּ הָרָעָֽה׃

Amos 9:10

(10)All the sinners of My people shall perish by the sword, who boast,“Never shall the evil overtake us or come near us.”

It was VERY difficult to illustrate a prophecy of doom for a 12-year-old with clinical anxiety and medical trauma. I chose artwork illustrating climate change, bullying, clinical anxiety (Charlie actually has an eating disorder), and self doubt.

עמוס ט׳:ח׳-י׳

(ח) הִנֵּ֞ה עֵינֵ֣י ׀ אדני יהוה בַּמַּמְלָכָה֙ הַֽחַטָּאָ֔ה וְהִשְׁמַדְתִּ֣י אֹתָ֔הּ מֵעַ֖ל פְּנֵ֣י הָאֲדָמָ֑ה אֶ֗פֶס כִּ֠י לֹ֣א הַשְׁמֵ֥יד אַשְׁמִ֛יד אֶת־בֵּ֥ית יַעֲקֹ֖ב נְאֻם־יהוה׃ (ט) כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֤ה אָֽנֹכִי֙ מְצַוֶּ֔ה וַהֲנִע֥וֹתִי בְכׇֽל־הַגּוֹיִ֖ם אֶת־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר יִנּ֙וֹעַ֙ בַּכְּבָרָ֔ה וְלֹֽא־יִפּ֥וֹל צְר֖וֹר אָֽרֶץ׃ (י)בַּחֶ֣רֶב יָמ֔וּתוּ כֹּ֖ל חַטָּאֵ֣י עַמִּ֑י הָאֹמְרִ֗ים לֹֽא־תַגִּ֧ישׁ וְתַקְדִּ֛ים בַּעֲדֵ֖ינוּ הָרָעָֽה׃

Amos 9:8-10

(8)Behold, my Sovereign GOD is keeping an eye
On the sinful kingdom:I will wipe it off The face of the earth! But, I will not wholly wipe out The House of Jacob—declares GOD. (9)For I will give the order And shake the House of Israel—Through all the nations—As one shakes [sand] in a sieve, And not a pebble falls to the ground. (10)All the sinners of My people Shall perish by the sword, Who boast,“Never shall the evil Overtake us or come near us.”

Amos' vision of hope is deeply structured around agricultural visions: the promise of hard work rewarded rather than the promise of ease and comfort. It was equally hard to illustrate a vision of hope for middle grade 21st century couch potatoes who spend all their leisure time on video games and trampoline parks and never agree to help me in the garden. Thankfully, Jordan Garfinkel's amazing Graphic Novel Hagddah ends its arc from genut to shevach with the former Soviet prisoner uncorking a bottle of wine with his wife in a vineyard in Israel, free and happy, so I was able to work that in. The rest of the vision of redemption centers around self-esteem, physical and emotional safety, friendship. opportunity, and acceptance for ALL people.

עמוס ט׳:י״א-ט״ו

(יא) בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא אָקִ֛ים אֶת־סֻכַּ֥ת דָּוִ֖יד הַנֹּפֶ֑לֶת וְגָדַרְתִּ֣י אֶת־פִּרְצֵיהֶ֗ן וַהֲרִֽסֹתָיו֙ אָקִ֔ים וּבְנִיתִ֖יהָ כִּימֵ֥י עוֹלָֽם׃ (יב) לְמַ֨עַן יִֽירְשׁ֜וּ אֶת־שְׁאֵרִ֤ית אֱדוֹם֙ וְכׇל־הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־נִקְרָ֥א שְׁמִ֖י עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם נְאֻם־יהוה עֹ֥שֶׂה זֹּֽאת׃ {פ}(יג) הִנֵּ֨ה יָמִ֤ים בָּאִים֙ נְאֻם־יהוה וְנִגַּ֤שׁ חוֹרֵשׁ֙ בַּקֹּצֵ֔ר וְדֹרֵ֥ךְ עֲנָבִ֖ים בְּמֹשֵׁ֣ךְ הַזָּ֑רַע וְהִטִּ֤יפוּ הֶֽהָרִים֙ עָסִ֔יס וְכׇל־הַגְּבָע֖וֹת תִּתְמוֹגַֽגְנָה׃ (יד) וְשַׁבְתִּי֮ אֶת־שְׁב֣וּת עַמִּ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וּבָנ֞וּ עָרִ֤ים נְשַׁמּוֹת֙ וְיָשָׁ֔בוּ וְנָטְע֣וּ כְרָמִ֔ים וְשָׁת֖וּ אֶת־יֵינָ֑ם וְעָשׂ֣וּ גַנּ֔וֹת וְאָכְל֖וּ אֶת־פְּרִיהֶֽם׃ (טו) וּנְטַעְתִּ֖ים עַל־אַדְמָתָ֑ם וְלֹ֨א יִנָּתְשׁ֜וּ ע֗וֹד מֵעַ֤ל אַדְמָתָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָתַ֣תִּי לָהֶ֔ם אָמַ֖ר יהוה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃

Amos 9:11-15

(11)In that day, I will set up again the fallen booth of David:I will mend its breaches and set up its ruins anew. I will build it firm as in the days of old,(12)So that they shall possess the rest of Edom And all the nations once attached to My name—declares GOD who will bring this to pass.(13)A time is coming—declares GOD—When the plower shall meet the reaper,And the treader of grapes The one who holds the [bag of] seed;When the mountains shall drip wine And all the hills shall wave [with grain].(14)I will restore My people Israel.They shall rebuild ruined cities and inhabit them;They shall plant vineyards and drink their wine; They shall till gardens and eat their fruits. (15)And I will plant them upon their soil, Nevermore to be uprooted From the soil I have given them—said the ETERNAL your God.

This work of art uses copyrighted material for Torah teaching purposes and was prepared for Acharei Mot/Kedoshim of 2026 for our daughter's bat mitzvah, using her favorite graphic novels. A full bibliography is included in the PDF. Readers will note the decidedly anti-racist bent of this graphic novel interpretation; you will find several queer-friendly graphic novel characters in the pages. All books in the bibliography are rated for easy parental gatekeeping; G-rated is family friendly, while PG-14 and T/M books should be shared and evaluated in the company of a parent.

Shira Eliaser

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I'm Bored! Bibliodrama and Graphic Resources for Shul and School