Spider-Man’s preschool show airs a Rosh Hashanah episode featuring The Thing

Marvel's Spidey and his Amazing Friends is a preschool-targeted animated series that pairs three young Spider-heroes with classic Marvel characters. In season two the show includes an episode, "An UnBEElievable Rosh Hashanah," that places Rosh Hashanah at the center of its conflict and resolution.

Green Goblin steals all the bees, creating a problem that threatens the community's Rosh Hashanah celebration. The Thing (Ben Grimm) helps Team Spidey recover the bees and restore the holiday. In a community-center dinner scene, The Thing wears a yarmulke and eats traditional foods such as apples and honey. He invites Ari and his father, Mr. Rosenberg, to join the celebration, and they tell The Thing he made the community proud. Why The Thing's appearance is notable Ben Grimm first appeared in 1961 as a member of the Fantastic Four. Although his Jewish identity was not explicit for decades, a 2002 comic issue showed him reciting the Shema over a dying pawn-shop owner, establishing a Jewish backstory. That comic moment is a rare explicit identification of a major Marvel character as Jewish. On-screen Jewish representation tends to lean toward stories of trauma or grief in Marvel properties (examples on other characters are referenced in the source). This episode offers a different image: a scene of Jewish joy and community celebration for a character with a somber origin story.

"An UnBEElievable Rosh Hashanah" airs Friday, September 15 on Disney Channel at 8:30 a.m. EDT/PDT and on Disney Junior at 1:00 p.m. EDT/PDT. The episode aligns with Rosh Hashanah timing that year, airing the morning of the holiday.

The episode's focus on a Jewish holiday—especially Rosh Hashanah, which receives less screen time than Hanukkah or even Yom Kippur—adds a celebratory Jewish moment to children's programming. It also reintroduces The Thing in a way that nods to his comics-origin Jewish identity without centering trauma, offering a scene of communal warmth and tradition.

Children and adults can watch this episode for a family-friendly superhero story that also recognizes a Jewish high holiday. The Thing's presence connects modern preschool programming back to a lesser-known element of Marvel comic history.