Image by Catherine Pearlman

By Thea Glassman October 31, 2016

A simple halloween costume just made the collective internet community a very, very happy place.

13-year-old Casey Pearlman is Jewish and her best friend Yasmin Idris, also 13, is Muslim. Together, they decided to dress up as a superhero team called “The Juslims” for Halloween. They donned capes with the initials JM written in glitter on the back, along with bright yellow t-shirts that read: “Don’t worry, it’s not religious, it’s not offensive,” to ensure they didn’t break any of their school’s rules.

Casey’s father, Jeff Pearlman, tweeted out a picture of the two in their superhero costumes, writing: “My daughter is Jewish. Her best pal is Muslim. For Halloween they created a superhero team: The Juslims. I’ve rarely been more proud. Truly.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

My daughter is Jewish. Her best pal is Muslim. For Halloween they created a superhero team: The Juslims. I’ve rarely been more proud. Truly. pic.twitter.com/zqPCCwzshR

— jeffpearlman (@jeffpearlman) October 30, 2016

That tweet has since gone viral, garnering nearly 50,000 retweets, 91,000 likes and a whole lot of happy commenters.

“Parenting done right!”

Parenting done right! https://t.co/1M4HsM8oyP

— Alaa Basatneh (@AlaaBasatneh) October 31, 2016

“A true definition of girl power! ? #respect”

@jeffpearlman @BntA7mad A true definition of girl power! ? #respect

— IKEA UAE (@IKEAUAE) October 31, 2016

“faith in humanity. Restored. #TeamJuslims”

@jeffpearlman @jk_rowling faith in humanity. Restored. #TeamJuslims ✌?️❤️

— Alison AB (@AlisonBousa) October 31, 2016

Pearlman credits the current political climate for all the positive feedback his daughter and her best friend have been receiving.

“There’s been this tidal wave of anti-everything,” he said in a phone interview. “There’s been a palpable feeling of hatred this election cycle that I’ve never seen in my lifetime.”

Their costume, he explained, serves as a small reminder that all of that negativity is just “nonsense.”

“It’s so simplistic. Two kids in a halloween costume. They weren’t trying to send a message, they weren’t trying to be political. They were just two kids who thought it was a funny costume,” he said. “That’s kind of the innocent beauty of it all.”

Image by Catherine Pearlman

Thea Glassman is an Associate Editor at the Forward. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @theakglassman.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’re near the end of our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we have a very ambitious goal of $127,000 by April 21.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a Passover gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Make a Passover Gift Today!

$90 $180

$360

Other amount