On October 7, 2023 Hamas led its most recent terror campaign against Israel. My Savta Ditza was one of the people kidnapped and held hostage in Gaza. Thankfully she was released after 53 days. The war is ongoing, people are still held hostage, nothing is normal and everything is hard.

I started crocheting Golem to help me manage the current situation while engaging with normal life things: class, spending time with friends, being alone. The Golem give me something to create and be comforted by, they are soft and squishy and easy to carry around.

The Golem is part of Askenazi folklore tradition. They have been transformed over time and space by so many people. I was inspired by another handcrafter who created a Golem crochet pattern and shared it with me so that I could survive this time. 9 of these Golem have been given as gifts to friends who have protected and supported me during the hardest times of the current situation (I’m keeping the last one for myself. I am proud of and thankful for this little collection of protectors I’ve made with my own hands 🥰