'Yosef Golem' is based on the legend of the Golem (Yiddish for ‘Man Of Clay’) created by Rabbi Judah Loew, also known as The Maharal Of Prague (Czechoslavakia) in the late 16th century. Using ancient Kabbalistic formulae, Rabbi Loew and his assistant created an imposing magical figure to serve as the defender of the Jews of Prague in response to the blood libels and pogroms leveled at them by local gangs of thugs and royal mercenaries. There are several versions of this classic tale, casting other rabbinic luminaries in the role of the Golem’s creator, but for this drawing I have chosen to focus on the Golem itself as a symbol of the strength and belief at the core of Jewish identity. Firmly supporting two children, symbols of hope, he stands against the background of the burning city which represents the centuries of brutal hatred unleashed on the Jewish people by forces beyond their control.