This is a great resource for parents and children alike who want more information about the scenario described in Golem. Other notes: The end of the book has a very informative section on the historical information this book was based on.

I did find parts of the book to be a bit scary or even depressing, so I wouldn’t recommend this book for very young children. I also found the story to be intriguing as I had heard stories related to the myth of golems in other books. Nonetheless, he is dismantled with the promise that he will be brought back when the Jews need him once more.įirst Impressions: Immediately I liked the heavy and dramatic illustration style of Golem. However, the golem is also a tragic figure, wistfully he just wants to watch the sunrise, and when the Jews are safe and the Rabbi prepares to disable the spell keeping the golem alive, the golem does not want to be turned back into clay. The golem is incredibly good at this task, and fiercely defends the Jews and destroys the attacking enemies. He successfully brings the golem to life and charges it with protecting the Jews of the city from those who want to harm them. Seeing this as a sign of an answer from God, Rabbi Loew sets out to make such a creature.

He is given a dream in which a hand appears and writes the word ‘GOLEM’, a creature made from clay and brought to life with mystical Jewish words. During a time when the Prague Jews are being persecuted by others a Jewish rabbi, Judah Loew ben Bezalel is searching for a way to bring relief to his people.

Golem by David Wisniewski