The Golem: A Version

by Barbara Rogasky

The Golem--a creature born of clay that looks like a man but is not a man, that is not exactly alive but neither is he dead.Stories of such nonhuman beings created by men appear again and again... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0823409643
• ISBN13: 9780823409648
• Release Date: June 1996
• Publisher: Holiday House
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.7" x 9.6"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

A KEWL FOLK TALE

One must keep in mind that the book is based on Jewish lore, and one must go into this story with AN OPEN MIND. Remember, it's a story. That being said, I'll try not to give a blow-by-blow, and try to stick to my review of this book. It seemed to me that hatred was not the intent of this story, and I found it to be a good read. The author was not trying to point out hatred, merely how the Rabbi sought to deal with the pogroms to protect the Jews in his shtetl. The illustrations throughout the book were very good, and I loved how one can explain through story telling and the illustrations, that a lack of understanding or acceptance of those that are from different backgrounds and religions have been used to repress a people, and how this type of depiction unfolded time and again throughout the book. It deals very well with good vs. evil concepts, and the life in the ghetto (shtetl) dealing with all the pogroms inflicted on the Jews of the day based on a religious belief and practice. Contrary to another review, while this story may not have been an exciting read to others, I found it very interesting and not denoting any "religious war", or an attack on faith. I find it odd to think that someone would not think such pogroms could NOT happen to a people based on their religion, as history has proven that this has happened time and time again. Anyway, I digress... Throughout the book, the reason, research done by the Rabbi, animation, investigation, action taken in response to transgression against the Jews, and the final dilemma of dealing with the termination of the Golem, all fell into place as each sub-story came to its fruition. I like how the story is descriptive enough to give one a good mental picture of the shtetl, and daily life, and how the author explains just enough Judaica for the reader to understand the what's and why's if one hasn't been exposed to Judaism nor this type of story/lore.

A dark folk tale from eastern europe

While looking for books to supply my afterschool program, I found this book on the bargain shelf at our local bookstore. The book is broken down into several chapters that span the "life" of the golem "hero". The engrossing illustrations in Barbara Rogasky's book draw you into the ghetto life and the style is reminiscent of comic art which held an immediate appeal to the 8 and 9-year-old boys who were into anime, trading cards and fantasy action figures. One boy, an avid reader of the Harry Potter series, asked to take the book home so many times, I eventually gave it to him! I was asked many questions about the unfamiliar terms used in the book as well as "why did the Christian's hate the Jews so much". As a teacher and a Jew working in an ethnically mixed community with a zero Jewish population, I found this an interesting challenge. I explained that many people, not just Christians, wanted to hurt the Jews because they were afraid of people who were different from themselves. We talked a bit about people in the community who are different from us and how we feel about them. This helped them see why people might become afraid of things they don't understand. I followed it up by saying that we all need to understand and accept people who are different from us so we can live in peace. Genrally, this tale is concerned with good and evil, right and wrong. From an education perspective, this book can be used as an introduction to the historical persecution of the Jews.