I did this series of drawings and wrote this story during my time participating in the Gen J project in 2026. A huge thank you to everyone for the wonderful experience and to Eyal Davidovitch in particular for being my mentor! https://www.generationj.eu/
Long ago, in the old city of Prague, the great Rabbi Loew was deeply engrossed in his work. Suddenly, his maidservant, Chana, rushed into the room, breathless and anxious. She explained, with urgency, that Chaim, the manservant, had gotten drunk and was unable to go to the market.
With everyone occupied, the Rabbi calmly instructed Chana to hand the grocery list to the golem and send him to the market. Ever obedient, the clay giant set off without hesitation.
When the golem arrived at the bustling market, he tried to read the list Chana had given him. But to his frustration, he couldn’t make out a single word—he could not read Yiddish.
Determined, the golem traveled far and wide, wandering from city to city, visiting every university he could find. Stories began to spread of a giant who tirelessly sought to learn languages, always carrying a mysterious old note in his basket.
After many years—or perhaps even centuries—the golem finally reached a place where Yiddish was spoken and read: the Other Music Academy in the town of Weimar. There, he discovered a program, Generation J, dedicated to teaching people how to speak, write, and read Yiddish.
At last, the golem could read the note. But to his surprise and disappointment, it simply said:
“Give this golem the usual groceries given to the servants of Rabbi Loew, because this golem cannot read Yiddish.”
