Published: 14 January 2026
Last updated: 14 January 2026
A golem comes to Sydney
The mythic creature born from mud to defend the Jews made a creative appearance in Sydney last weekend.
Tami Sussman
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The Jewish Independent acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and strive to honour their rich history of storytelling in our work and mission.
Published: 14 January 2026
Last updated: 14 January 2026
Tami Sussman writes for children and adults and is the author of the novel 'So That Happened … But Maybe You Already Knew That'. She's also one half of the TJI Podcast 'Ashamed to Admit'.
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Comments2
Jana Vytrhlik18 January at 07:10 am
Congratulations, Jacob – it is wonderful to see a 21st-century remake of the Golem. I grew up with the old Jewish legend in Prague, where the clay creature was repurposed every so often: sometimes a strong protector of the Prague ghetto, sometimes extending the protective powers to the wider community. Under Communist censorship, the Golem was domesticated into a kind of proletarian helper, most memorably in the 1950s black-and-white film Císařův pekař a pekařův císař (The Emperor’s Baker and the Baker’s Emperor), where the gentle giant ends up in a bakery making bread for the starving poor of Rudolphine Prague. More relevant than ever – all the very best with your Golem Today project.
Paul Jaffe15 January at 07:52 am
Made me smile. That’ll do.