The Golem Legend and Holocaust Memory

Lester and Sue Smith Campus
5401 Caroline St.
Houston, TX , 77004

There are many Jewish legends about the golem – a creature formed from clay and brought to life using mystical knowledge to serve the Jewish community. Often the golem is portrayed protecting the Jews from pogroms and blood libels. Since the Holocaust, many artists and authors have wrestled with the golem’s legacy. Where was this mythic protector when the Jews needed it the most? Inspired by this season of creepy creatures, Rabbi Fixler will introduce us to the golem legend and explore the unique ways the golem is imagined in post-Holocaust art and fiction.

Rabbi Fixler is the president of the Houston Faith Leaders Coalition, a board member of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and the Houston Rabbinical Association, and a member of the steering committee for the Texas Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC-TX). Rabbi Fixler was ordained at the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in May 2017. While in rabbinical school, Rabbi Fixler was a Wexner Graduate Fellow and a Bonnie and Daniel Tisch Rabbinical Fellow. During his time at HUC-JIR, Joshua also completed an Advanced Professional Certificate in Management for Public & Nonprofit Organizations at New York University.

Public programs at Holocaust Museum Houston are presented by Memorial Hermann.