He was also ruthless in his efforts to convert Jews to Christianity, using whatever dirty tricks would work.Īfter 10 years the good Rabbi dismisses the Golem. It was he who set the child corpse event in motion. ![]() The villain of the story, Thadeusz, by contrast, is utterly in-human. He appears when needed, helping the Jewish people survive their persecutions in Prague. Yosel, though utterly non-human, is more human than most of the other characters in the story (as other Goodreads reviewers have rightly observed). Naming the creature, and adding little details like how he huddles in the corner of the attic, humanizes the utterly inhuman creature. In this telling, the Golem has a name: Yosel the Mute. Then the Golem remains for ten years, protecting the community from repeated attempts to convert Jews or frame them for atrocities. Maharal tasks the Golem with exposing the plot, which he (it?) does. The canard that Jews use Christian infant blood to make matzo for Passover is an ancient one-one of many despicable conspiracy theories that are still with us. He does this because of a plot to plant a dead Christian infant in the Jewish quarter as a pretext to invading and clearing the ghetto. ![]() The great Rabbi Loew, also known as Maharal, animated a mound of dirt to create the Prague Golem, in order to save the Jewish community in Prague. It is simply and beautifully told, as one would expect from Wiesel. ![]() This short book tells the legend of the Golem from Jewish Folklore (unlike, for example, The Golem by Gustav Meyrink, which I simply cannot get out of my mind-see my review).
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