The Mystery of the Golem of Prague: Unraveling History and Legend

Year: Around 5310. Place: Prague, Czech Republic. Plausibility: No one really knows.

Few places in Jewish folklore are as shrouded in mystery as the attic of the Altneuschul Synagogue in Prague. Maybe the Vatican's basement, supposedly home to the Temple's menorah, comes close - and even that's debatable. Beneath the synagogue's steeply pitched roof are said to rest the remains of the Golem of Prague. According to legend, a Nazi officer who tried verifying the story dropped dead on the spot. Others who visited left pale and shaken. It's curious that organized groups haven't formed to pray at the Golem's alleged resting place (a charm for Golems, perhaps?).

In reality, the picture is more complex. No one knows the identity of the supposed Nazi officer who died after visiting the Altneuschul. What's true is that the Nazis did not destroy this ancient synagogue, unlike their actions elsewhere. Film crews exploring the attic found nothing but dust and faded Hebrew letters. It's also worth considering that the attic underwent major renovations in 1884, and another legend suggests the Golem's final resting place was actually the synagogue attic in Posen, not Prague. Could there have been two Golems?

The attic mystery ties into broader debates about whether the Maharal indeed created a Golem. If he did, neither he, his students, associates, nor anyone from that era whose writings survive, mentions it. An intriguing fact is that authors from those times, like Rabbi Yedidya Weil, son of the "Korban Netanel" and student of Rabbi Jonathan Eybeschutz, mention Golems created by Rabbi Avigdor Kara of Prague and Rabbi Elijah Baal Shem of Chelm, but not the Maharal.

In fact, the earliest Hebrew references linking the Maharal to the Golem appear from the mid-19th century onwards, over 200 years post-Maharal era. Rabbi Yudel Rosenberg, through his book "Niflaot Maharal," greatly amplified the Golem awareness within Jewish tradition, enriching the tale with dramatic elements such as the wicked priest Taddeus and the hexagonal palace saga, familiar to novices everywhere.

Relatedly, Zalman Tzvi Uffenhausen, in 5315, published defenses (in Yiddish) against the harsh attacks by the convert Samuel Brenz. Among his points, Uffenhausen addressed the accusation that Jews engage in magic to create earthen Golems. He conceded that Jews did create Golems, but only in ancient times. Regarding modern-day Golems, Uffenhausen wrote: "The Golems found in these lands are all born of women, and most are from among the nations of the world."

As noted, the creation of Golems is also attributed to other respected Jewish figures. Traditionally, Golems were buried in synagogue attics after use. Hence, rumors of Golems buried in attic spaces are not unique to Prague; they circulate about synagogues in Chelm, Posen, and even Vilna, allegedly tied to the Vilna Gaon. Yet, even some Hasidic sources accept the notion of the Golem's creation as fact, with no sage able to solve this mystery decisively. As one righteous figure remarked, "People marvel at the Maharal's creation of a Golem, while I marvel at how he nurtured wise students and world-renowned scholars."