Dita sees him as an indestructible man, like the unstoppable Golem in the Jewish legend who, one day, would save them all. Freddy Hirsch... His name gives her courage.
-- Narrator (chapter 4 paragraph -)

Importance: The Golem is a character rooted deeply in Jewish Folklore. It is a creature made out of clay and dust who is a guardian, and sits in the synagogue until he is called upon. As the story goes, whenever the Golem sets out to find out who he is, he runs amok. This quotation expressing Dita's high praise for Hirsch shows the extent to which she sees him as a leader, and father-figure, as she feels protected behind his guard. Furthermore, the history of this tale would leave the impression that they are foreshadowing a wild reckoning from Hirsch. Instead, however, his form of running amok manifests in suicide.

Within their pages, books contain the wisdom of the people who wrote...
-- Professor Morgenstern (chapter 6 paragraph -)