The Golem of Brooklyn

 The Golem of Brooklyn by Adam Mansbach (2023, 272 pages)

Despite many pop cultures inclusions, golems are actually an ancient Jewish mythical creature. They are made of clay or mud, and their sole purpose is to protect the Jewish people from harm. It becomes animate and sentient with the inscription of the Hebrew word for truth written on its forehead. My favorite part included in some legends, and this book, is when the golem has completed its task, the creator removes the first letter of the word truth (eh-met אמת), to show the word death (met  מת) and it is returned to inanimate clay.

This book is written by comedian Adam Mansbach (who also wrote Go the F*ck to Sleep, to give you a perspective on his writing style). It starts with an art teacher stealing clay from his school over a long period of time, and eventually forming a golem. He didn't think it would work, but here we are. We then follow the shenanigans of the golem, his creator, and everyone who gets swept up on the way to a tiki torch antisemitic march.

Bonus points for great queer and Jewish representation and discussion. I thought it really encapsulates Jewish conversations around controversial topics, and the book didn't end with a solid answer. I really appreciate that. 

★★★★★