Berlin’s Jewish Museum opens show on mystic golem

BERLIN — A gigantic golem made out of wooden Hebrew letters lies motionless on the ground, yet it seems as if only a few magic whispers are needed to bring the creature to life.

The sculpture, created by California artist Joshua Abarbanel, is one of 250 objects on display at the new “Golem” show in the Jewish Museum Berlin, which opened last week. The show approaches the legend in diverse and unconventional ways.

First mentioned in ancient Jewish texts, a golem is an artificial being made from mud or other inanimate material that’s brought to life through the power of Hebrew letters. It became popular and known outside Judaism in a famous story about the sixteenth-century Rabbi Judah Loew who is said to have created a golem out of clay to help protect the Jews of Prague from persecution.

However, the golem has a dark side, too. It often spins out of control and its superhuman powers can become a threat to the one who created it.

“The golem can look back on a long career, in Judaism and far beyond,” Peter Schaefer, the director of the Jewish Museum Berlin told reporters Thursday. “Its story begins in the Hebrew bible and continues, in constantly new transformations, into the present day.”

The exhibition, which runs through Jan. 29, shows both traditional images of the golem and modern-day incarnations.

There are medieval instructions explaining how to use incantations, rituals and specific Hebrew letter combinations to bring the golem to life. There are also videos, costumes and installations presenting different interpretations of the golem by 30 contemporary artists from Israel, the United States and elsewhere.

There are comics, cartoons and video game stations. They show how the golem developed over time into a figure of pop culture: both as a superhero and a monster, reminiscent of Superman, King Kong or Minecraft monsters.