An Intro to the Golem: Exploring Judaism's Mythical Creature

Towards the end of the 16th century, the story goes, a revered Jewish sage in Prague created a large creature out of clay from the nearby Vltava River. The creature, which became known as a golem in Jewish lore, protected Prague’s Jewish community from antisemitic attacks. Some believe it still sits in the attic of Prague’s grand synagogue, waiting to be revived when needed. Tales like this one have made the golem one of the most iconic creatures in Jewish history and tradition, a figure that has been depicted in everything from the Talmud to classic literature to horror movies.

This two-part introduction to understanding the golem with Rabbi Dennis comes with recordings of the one-hour online lectures.

PLUS: A special offer to class participants, more magical learning with Rabbi Dennis!

Add on his other two-part class at checkout with a discounted rate! Sign up for An Intro to Lilith, taking place the two weeks prior to the Golem class, on January 7 & 14.

Save by registering for both classes together at checkout, no code needed to save!

Lilith: The original woman. The most notorious Jewish demon. A feminist symbol.

Those are all different descriptions of Lilith, the feminine figure whose place in Judaism has been canonized by some rabbinic authorities and questioned by others. Who was Lilith, exactly? Was she really the first woman, before Eve, who was banished from the Garden of Eden for disobeying Adam? What do the many varying depictions of her, in everything from Kabbalistic texts to modern novels to pagan lore, tell us about this character — and about ourselves?

Join My Jewish Learning and Rabbi Geoffrey Dennis, an expert on all things magical and mystical in Judaism, for a special two-part introduction to understanding Lilith. Your purchase comes with recordings of the two one-hour online lectures. Class takes place on January 7 and 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

After you register, we'll send you an email confirmation with information about how to join the class.

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