Golem

Golem (GO-lem) is the Jewish folktale about a giant made of clay.  The story opens in the city of Prague.  For a thousand years, the residents have been fighting over their religious beliefs.  ""People of differing beliefs in God and nation have clashed violently here: Czech against German, Protestant against Catholic, Christian against Jew.  In 1580, the Jews were banned to the ghetto and had no protection.  Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the Rabbi of Prague, knew he had to do something to stop the feuding and oppression of his people.  One night he awoke with a vision of creating Golem.  The next night, the Rabbi digs into the ground until he finds clay.  After he shapes the clay, Golem comes to life.  The Rabbi instructs Golem to "guard the ghetto at night."  One night a mob rushes the gates to the ghetto.  Golem meets them at the gates and goes on a rampage.  Killing and wounding the citizens, the mob retreats and Golem goes back into the ghetto.  The next day the emperor sends for the Rabbi.  The emperor asks how long Golem will live for.  The Rabbi answers, "until the Jews are no longer in danger."  The emperor insists he will protect the Jews and to destroy Golem.  The Rabbi finds Golem and sends him back to the earth.  As he is being transformed, the reluctant Golem proclaims, "please let me live!  I did all that you asked of me!  Life is so...precious...to me!"

The tale of Golem has been told for generations.  There are many interpretations of the tale.  One lesson is that once a living creature is created, there is no guarantee of control over the actions of that creature.  Another interpretation by historian Jay Gonen, is that similar to the mission of Golem, Israel was created to protect the safety of the Jews.  In a symbolic way, Golem lives on through Israel.

The story of Golem could be used to discuss folklore and mythology.  Students could bring in stories, either oral or written.  From there we could discuss what makes a story a folktale, a myth, or a fairy tale.  This book could also be used to discuss what happens when one person has too much power.  The example of bullying could be used as a relatable topic.  From there we could discuss other times in history when power was misused and people were oppressed.  There are many examples of current and past persecution.  Depending on the age of the students, the lesson could be tailored to what would be appropriate.

Golem. ISBN 13: 978-0-395-72618-1. David Wisniewski. 1996. Caldecott. Age 4-8. Folklore.