Golem is written and illustrated by David Wisniewski. It is a retelling of a traditional Jewish story, set in Prague in the 16th century. Jewish people in Prague at that time were forced to live in walled ghettos, and daily attacked by Christians. The chief rabbi of Prague prays for help for his people and dreams of the word GOLEM written on a background of "fire and ruin". With help, the rabbi creates the golem to defend the Jewish people.
Based on the criteria for evaluating folklore, I can tentatively say that this is a quality picture book. I am not Jewish nor am I an expert on oral stories. However, the language does seem to follow oral patterns: sentences are short to middle-length and the structure flows from one event to the next in a logical, easy to follow way; rhetorical questions are used; there is one main narrator with other voices only occasionally coming in to speak, which I think is helpful with oral stories, because it reduces the need for saying who's speaking and lowers risk of confusion. I do not know if the story itself maintains the cultural integrity of early retellings and I could not find out if the author himself is Jewish or not. However, there is a lengthy note at the end of the book that discusses cabalistic beliefs in Judaism and the history of Jewish persecution. More cross-reference and consultation with Jewish people is needed to confirm the quality of the text.
The story deals with the universal theme of protecting your people and the desire for safety in the face of danger, something all groups of people can connect and identify with, on large or small scale.
The illustrations are captivating cut paper scenes, with strong colors and contrasts. They repeat the information in the text while adding to it, in terms of emotion, details, and setting. Again, I cannot confirm if the clothing and occasional Hebrew script is accurate for Judaism.
Because this book is a retelling of Jewish folklore, it fits with Social Justice Elements 1 and 2: self-love and knowledge, and respect for others. Jewish students will be able to see and learn their cultural story, while non-Jewish students will do the same, while also learning more about the persecution Jewish people have faced throughout time.
This book would be great for an interdisciplinary social studies unit, focusing on the oppression of peoples throughout history. Most students only learn about Jewish people in the context of the Holocaust. While that is undoubtedly important, this book will help expand students' knowledge about Judaism and Jewish people.
Growing up as a Jewish person I have never heard this story before, however it seems like it is an authentic Jewish Folklore tale (I googled it), and I am not surprised I haven't heard it because I haven't really heard many Jewish Folklores growing up. With that being said, I like that you question whether or not it is authentic and you keep that in mind throughout your review. If you are unsure if it is authentic or not, it is better to question it like you are. This would definitely be a good addition to a social studies unit because like you said it gives students another view of Jewish people's struggles other than the holocaust.
ReplyDeleteI think many Jewish people, as an oppressed group, may not be aware of their own folklore, which ties in with SJ theme 1, self-love and knowledge. I agree with though that authenticity is important, so if I were to use this book in my class, I would probably see out a rabbi or someone, to confirm that this is a good representation.
DeleteI did not know there are Jewish folklore. It is interesting about the story. But I wonder how to learn through the story. Jewish had histories and political issues, which related the book or not. It is important to include about the book.
ReplyDeleteYou could definitely use this book to start learning about history or the political situation Jewish people faced in Prague during that time! The book touches on it a little, but the focus is on the Golem story, not the historical/political context. I think it would be good to have students do some research about the setting though, and learn some history.
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