and he’s a real mensch

Bucky Barnes is Jewish and we love him! A blog to accumulate content for the headcanon that Bucky Barnes is Jewish

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Chapters: 2/2 Fandom: Captain America (Marvel Comics), Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616 Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: James “Bucky” Barnes, Billy Kaplan, Melissa Gold, Ben Grimm, Jim Hammond, Rabbi Lowenthal (Marvel Comics), Kitty Pryde, Marvel Ensemble, Peter Parker Additional Tags: Judaism, Purim, Jewish Bucky Barnes, Canon Jewish Character, Party, Jewish Holidays, Post-Marvel Comic Event: Secret Empire (2017) Summary:

Bucky Barnes is invited to a Purim party by Ben Grimm. It’s the first time he publically acknowledges that he’s Jewish, and he wonders how Ben even knew to invite him in the first place.

(Takes place vaguely between the end of the Secret Empire event and before the death of Kitty Pryde, the trial of Magneto in Krakoa, vaguely around the time of Winter Soldier Vol. 2)

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I keep coming up with AUs for Bucky, it's like an addiction lmfao:

-Polycule AU (co-created with my partner): DC/Marvel crossover universe in which Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Steve Rogers, and Bucky Barnes are all in a polycule during WWII.

-Wolf Spider AU: In which Bucky Barnes is a trans man who got forcibly detransitioned and brainwashed into Natalia Romanova by the Soviets, defected and retransitioned into Nikolai "Kolya" Ivanovich/The Wolf Spider, then got recaptured and made into the Winter Soldier, before finally getting his memories back from the Cosmic Cube.

-Bluejay AU: In which Bruce Wayne is Bucky's maternal cousin and adopted him and Becca after Jim's death (the ages are different from those in the Polycule AU) and Bucky became his sidekick, Bluejay.

-Silent Spring AU: In which Bucky survived WWII but got seriously injured in a chemical weapons "accident" after opposing the bombing of Nagasaki and the expansion of the nuclear weapons program immediately post-war. He lost his left arm and damaged his vocal cords, leading him to be temporarily mute and then unable to speak above a whisper after extensive therapy. He ended up going to university and becoming a geologist, teaching geology as a mild-mannered professor in his civilian life, and then carrying out attacks against nuclear weapons facilities and major pollutant manufacturing plants in his vigilante life, under the name of the "Silent Spring".

-Bird AU: Marvel, but they're all (mostly) birds. (Namor is a Northern snakehead fish). Bucky is a bluejay, Steve is a bald eagle, Toro is a brown-headed cowbird, Jim Hammond is a robot spy-bird, Sam Wilson is a peregrine falcon, and Clint Barton is a red-tailed hawk.

-Fantastic Five AU: In which Jim Barnes, Bucky's dad, wasn't killed in an aviation accident, and Bucky survived WWII and became an astronaut pilot and was on a spaceship along with Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Sue Storm, and Johnny Storm, and got ice powers.

-Earth 904: MCU/FoX-Men/Comics fusion universe in which Magneto and Bucky Barnes were at one point cellmates while both were prisoners of the Nazis during WWII, and Bucky became a sort of older brother to Magneto.

-Ancient Judea AU: In which Bucky is a Levite who was captured by the Romans, enslaved, and made into a gladiator.

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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Captain America (Marvel Comics), Fantastic Four (Comicverse) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James “Bucky” Barnes & Bucky Barnes’s Family Members Characters: James “Bucky” Barnes, Original Male Character(s), Winifred Barnes, George Barnes (Marvel), Ben Grimm Additional Tags: Outer Space, 1950s, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bucky Barnes Has Powers, Jewish Bucky Barnes, Period Typical Attitudes, Period Typical Bigotry, Antisemitism, Hurt Bucky Barnes, Pilot Bucky Barnes, Science Nerd Bucky Barnes, Mentioned Other Marvel Characters Summary:

A glimpse into a universe where Jim Barnes Sr. wasn’t killed in an aviation accident, and Bucky Barnes survived WWII to become an astronaut, and was in the ship with Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Sue Storm, and Johnny Storm when they were assaulted by cosmic rays, and thus gained ice powers.

[Written for the @jewsinfandoms prompt “Transformation”.]

Now the Fantastic Five AU has a fic!

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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Captain America (Marvel Comics), Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James “Bucky” Barnes & Thomas “Toro” Raymond Characters: James “Bucky” Barnes, Thomas “Toro” Raymond, Martin Schiller (Marvel Comics) Additional Tags: World War II, Holocaust, Concentration Camps, Bucky Barnes Feels, Antisemitism, Historical References, Conversations, Jewish Bucky Barnes, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Jewish Character, Missing Scene Summary:

The long walk back to camp after Bucky Barnes and Toro Raymond rescued Agent Schiller

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Chapters: 2/2 Fandom: Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Invaders (Marvel Comics), Captain America (Marvel Comics) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James “Bucky” Barnes & Jim Hammond & Thomas “Toro” Raymond & Steve Rogers & Namor the Sub-Mariner (Marvel Comics) Characters: James “Bucky” Barnes, Jim Hammond, Thomas “Toro” Raymond, Steve Rogers, Namor the Sub-Mariner (Marvel Comics), Brian Falsworth, Jacqueline Falsworth-Crichton Additional Tags: Seder Pesach | Passover Seder (Judaism), Pesach | Passover, World War II, Team Dynamics, Jewish Bucky Barnes, Historical References, Jewish Holidays, Period Typical Attitudes, Homesickness, Fluff Summary:

The Invaders are invited to attend a GI Seder in Italy to boost the troops’ morale

(Inspired by the Bari GI Haggadah and other stories of GI Sedarim during WWII)

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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Captain America (Marvel Comics) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James “Bucky” Barnes & Winifred Barnes, George Barnes/Winifred Barnes Characters: Winifred Barnes, James “Bucky” Barnes Additional Tags: Meta, Names, Jewish Bucky Barnes Summary:

It’s said in Judaism that parents have a spark of prophecy when they name their child. A reflection on Bucky Barnes and his names.

Written for @jewsinfandoms prompt “Names”

[gay-jewish-bucky]

Paul Rudd is Jewish and I've always perceived his Scott Lang/Ant Man as Jewish as a result. I imagine Scott's Captain America fan crush is only exceeded by his Bucky Barnes fan crush. He's just so excited to meet his favorite Jewish super hero. He dressed up as Howling Commando Bucky Barnes any chance he could get as a kid. Bucky's love of science inspired him to become an electrical engineer. Bucky brings up his crimes but Scott's just like "ex con buddies!"

[mieczyhale]

happy belated birthday to my soulsibling @gay-jewish-bucky ~ please enjoy these polaroids from Steve & Bucky (and also Alpine, of course)

[gay-jewish-bucky]

I love this (and you!) with all my heart 🥹

[idiosynchratic-anomalocaris]

The boooooooooooys

I used this base from animebases.info (plus timelapse under cut)

Reference images

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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Invaders (Marvel Comics), Captain America (Marvel Comics) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James “Bucky” Barnes & Jim Hammond Characters: James “Bucky” Barnes, Jim Hammond Additional Tags: World War II, Holocaust, Nazis, Concentration Camps, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Overdosing, Trauma, Bucky Barnes Feels, Jewish Bucky Barnes, Golems, Protective Jim Hammond, Mental Health Issues, Hurt Bucky Barnes, Angst Summary:

Bucky Barnes wakes up in a hospital to see Jim Hammond waiting for him. They discuss how he got there, and how they’re going to move forward.

(The aftermath of Captain America and Bucky #623)

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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 2/2 Fandom: Marvel 616, Marvel (Comics), Captain America (Marvel Comics), Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos (Comics 1963-1981) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James “Bucky” Barnes & Isadore “Izzy” Cohen Characters: James “Bucky” Barnes, Isadore “Izzy” Cohen, Nick Fury, Howling Commandos Members (Marvel), Original Male Character(s) Additional Tags: World War II, Nazis, Period Typical Attitudes, Antisemitism, Jewish Bucky Barnes, Interrogation, Disguise, Historical References, Foreshadowing, Dubious Ethics Summary:

Bucky Barnes and Izzy Cohen are tasked with interrogating an SS prisoner. They employ a creative technique they learned from the Ritchie Boys.

(Written for Jews in Fandoms prompt “Clothes”)

@jewsinfandoms

[gay-jewish-bucky]

i like to think that bucky has a beautiful singing voice, because he was a charmer, of course he used to sing the best and loudest at synagogue, back when he was little and it was something the filled him with pride.

in the 21st century someone teaches bucky hatikvah, and he can’t sing it himself without crying. in the war his dogtags couldn’t even have his religion on them. now his people can sing together.

I imagine he wonders what it would sound like in his mother’s voice. When Steve sings along with him it’s almost close enough.

Oh, absolutely! He loves to sing! I think he gets his love of singing from both his parents. Singing with his father in prayer services. Singing blessings with his mother each day. Singing on his own when he moves in with Steve. He only stops singing when the war takes away his voice.

Hatikvah would like have been known to Bucky! There are many extant recordings from liberated camps where the survivors sing it together in the same tune we use now. I personally cry every time I listen to them.

As you probably know, it's sung at March of the Living to this very day. I think the experience of standing in the cold and rain at Auschwitz-Birkenau—surrounded by both young and elderly Jews, all singing as one voice—would be what gets through to Bucky that he is a Holocaust survivor too. The last to be liberated, and liberated by himself at that.

He cries for four solid days after this realization, and then cries for two more days when he realizes he'll soon be the only living survivor.

I like to imagine that while finding community in the present day, Bucky becomes a cantorial soloist for his synagogue. He's absolutely beloved by his congregation. This is an achievement he's immensely proud of.

Bucky practices every day, so his home with Steve is always full of music; even when their many records aren't playing. Steve always tells Bucky his singing is reminiscent of Wininie, especially when he sings to their children, and that means everything to Bucky.

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what's your favourite part of the High Holidays? what about Steve and Bucky?

(i haven't seen past the first captain america movie but i love your posts about them)

For me, it's currently reciting Al Chet on Yom Kippur and the sweet foods that comes with the Jewish New Year.

For Steve, who stays home on Yom Kippur and welcomes Bucky home with a hearty meal to break the fast, it's Rosh Hashanah. His favourites are the Barnes apple cake and honey-flavoured kisses from Bucky.

As children, that apple cake was the biggest luxury Steve could dream of having. The Barnes family could only afford the fruit for the delicacy once per year, especially during the leaness of the great depression and wartime rationing. Steve looked forward to eating it all year.

Enjoying that apple cake recipe from their youth, made with apples they picked together, tastes like coming home.

There is also nothing Steve loves more than kissing Bucky, something new and wonderful and precious, and the honey makes Bucky's already sweet lips all the sweeter. He genuinely can't get enough of it.

For Bucky, his favourite part of the High Holidays are the second half of Yom Kippur service as well as going apple picking with Steve to prepare for Rosh Hashanah.

At that part of service everyone is tired, hungry, thirsty and their feet hurt. The communal nature of this mundane discomfort—as well as the familiar recitation of prayers in a sea of white with splashes of colourful tallit stripes—is grounding after decades of him only knowing agony or numbness.

It reminds him this soft and quiet life he's built is real and he survived. It's affirmation of his hard won-autonomy, free of extreme duress and now finally able to be accountable to G-d for his post-Hydra actions.

For Rosh Hashanah Steve and Bucky also drive upstate to pick apples together for the Barnes apple cake and other seasonal treats. Steve does the driving. When they aren't busy stealing kisses, Bucky points out the best apples to pick. After, they drink fresh cider together. It makes for a wonderful date, Bucky looks forward to it every year!

[gay-jewish-bucky]

Steve immediately looking up Bucky's surviving sisters when he resurfaces. Bucky's sisters reminding Steve and Bucky so much of Bucky's mom. The way Bucky and his sisters revert to how they were as kids around each other, teasing and laughing. Bucky's family loving how their grandmas and great-grandmas seem so much younger when Bucky and Steve are around.

[gay-jewish-bucky]

Bucky coming to terms with his heroism. Bucky realizing he is looked up and a symbol to different groups. Him being held up by the Jewish community because of his faith and his survival. Bucky being important to POWs because he's the longest held POW in American history. Vets too. Being important to the disability community because he shows they can be heroes too. Bucky being important to the LGBT+ community because he's one of the few left who not only remembers their history but lived it.

[gay-jewish-bucky]

There is an entirely Yiddish stage version of Fiddler on the Roof in the works at my local community theatre, and I just had a thought about Steve and Bucky going to see one. Maybe one of Bucky's family members has been cast and they go as part of the family to see it. I feel like Bucky would love seeing stories of the Old Country, like he grew up with, being told in the language of his childhood.

Oh, absolutely! New York had a thriving Yiddish scene in the first half of the 20th century, which is something Bucky would have immersed into wholeheartedly. The fact that it's almost entirely gone now would be devastating. He'd absolutely jump at the chance to see Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish with Steve. It would be exciting and nostalgic.

Bucky would love the music, he'd buy and listen to the cast recording frequently and sing along with it while dancing around with Alpine. He'd deeply connect with the love stories, seeing Steve in Motel for the love he and Tzeitel share as childhood best friends, and in Perchik for his deeply held convictions. Miracle of Miracles/Nisemlekh Veniflo'oys would be a favourite of Bucky's, and he'll sing it to Steve all the time.

Seeing Fiddler would also be very heartbreaking, not only as a reminder of how unrecognizable the world is now, but so intimately experiencing why his parents came to America. There would be more pain over how extensive the erasure of Jewish life actually was—which he would've known was occurring—and learning how much family he lost. Bucky cries on Steve all through Anatevka and the whole way home.

One last note: I like to think that Bucky would be delighted to learn that the actor who plays Motel in the English-language film adaptation, Leonard Frey, was a gay Jew too. Eventually taking to calling himself a 'Jew fairy' like Frey's character in The Boys in the Band.

[gay-jewish-bucky]

HI i tried to send you a message it didnt work BUT i'm obsessed with this blog lol and you posted something about Bucky cooking and now I'm just!! thinking about bucky preparing shabbat and like making cholent and cleaning the floor and AH. Omg. just imagine him and steve having friday night dinner and steve bakes challah and bucky makes kiddush and they get a lil tipsy and then sleep in ... and I can imagine bucky removing his arm for shabbat. just for a break. just to feel like he exists in his body without constant electricity around him and just. it would be so good for him aa

Im so honured, thank you for the beautiful visual! I love the idea of Bucky taking off his prosthetic for Shabbos, I cannot believe I've never thought in depth about that, but it would absolutely be in line with Halacha given that his arm isn't life sustaining.

I think Bucky absolutely looks forward to completly physically disconnecting that way each week, and eventually this leads to him getting more and more comfortable existing without a prosthetic.