Simcha Weinstein "Maybe a little outside the box."

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As part of its first winter retreat on Feb. 11, the Tucson group of B'nai Tzedek — a youth philanthropy program that just got off the ground last month — will meet with a man known as the "Comic Book Rabbi."

Rabbi Simcha Weinstein is the author of "Up, Up, and Oy Vey: How Jewish History, Culture and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero."

The book looks at several popular comic book characters and how they have ties to Jewish history and culture, said Abigail Foss, B'nai Tzedek coordinator.

Because comic books resonate more with teens than an adult talking at them about what they need to do, Weinstein seemed like a good choice of speaker to have at the group's first retreat, Foss said.

"This is our first winter retreat, so we wanted to bring in someone that was maybe a little outside the box," she said.

A big part of Judaism is the concept that each Jew is responsible for doing his or her part to heal the world, she said.

She pointed out that Superman was created by two Jewish teenagers in the late 1930s, when a big, dark force was loose in the world. "That wasn't coincidental."

Comic book superheroes have always carried a deep message, she said.

They are compelled to do good, frequently struggling with that obligation.

"Responsibilities aren't just all free and easy," she said. "The idea behind superheroes is that they're trying to make the world better in some way."

B'nai Tzedek works to empower teens to think of themselves as people who have something to give, Foss said.

In the evening after the retreat, Weinstein will take the stage at 7 p.m. at the Tucson Jewish Community Center for a brief talk followed by a question-and-answer session and book signing.

He will have copies of his book available for sale, Foss said.