36 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 J
N

OUR COMMUNITY

G

et ready for the best treat of 
the season! Leave it to Reboot 
to innovate, reimagine and 
collaborate its socks off to deliver an 
event like no other this Erev Halloween 
(not an actual Jewish holiday … yet?).
On Oct. 30, Reboot is taking over 
Third Man Records in Detroit’s Cass 
Corridor for Monster Mash. What can 
you expect? The night will rattle your 
bones with talks with a bestselling 
author and thought leaders, an artist 
exhibit, a vinyl release, a newly 
scored film classic, conversation and 
community, light apps and drinks, and 
the spookiest vibes anywhere.
The star of the night, of mythical 
proportion, is the golem. Oh, yes, that 
golem, the one of ancient legend to 
modern reinvention.
Angelique Powers, 
president and CEO of the 
Skillman Foundation, will 
moderate a Reboot Ideas 
conversation featuring 
Adam Mansbach and Dr. 
Justin Sledge to discuss “the 
historical and contemporary 
connection between the 
legend of the golem and 
Jewish links between the 
supernatural, creativity and 
tikkun olam (repairing the 
world).”
Mansbach is best known 
for his No. 1 New York 
Times bestselling pseudo-
children’s book Go the F*ck 
to Sleep. This fall, Mansbach 
published his fifth novel The 
Golem of Brooklyn. The book 
is described as “a ferociously 
funny reimagining of the 
golem of Jewish folklore, 
who is accidentally brought to life in 

a basement apartment in Brooklyn 
and embarks on an absurd road trip 
to face off against the rising threat of 
antisemitism in America.”
Sledge is a Detroit-based adjunct 
professor at Lawrence Tech University. 
He specializes in ethics, religion and 
social-political philosophy with an 
emphasis on Jewish esotericism and 
the occult. Sledge is also the host 
of the popular YouTube channel 
Esoterica, with nearly half a million 
subscribers. Sledge is a distiller and is 
in cahoots with Detroit’s own Detroit 
City Distillery to recreate a historically 
accurate Absinthe following 19th- 
century protocols.
Guests will also be treated to a live 
painting installation by Detroit 
artists Oliva Guterson and Faina 
Lerman as they creatively manifest 
Jewish monsters. Lynne Avadenka, a 
globally recognized and locally based 
artist and printmaker, will premiere 
a video, created in collaboration 
with Harrison Segall, reimagining 
her artist’s book, Breathing Mud: 
The Legend of the Golem.
And just when you think no 
witchcraft could possibly squeeze 
any more golem into just one 
night, guests will be treated to 
Paul Wegener’s 1921 silent horror 
classic film The Golem: How He 
Came into This World, newly 
remastered with a Reboot-
produced new original film 
score on vinyl. The score was 
created in celebration of the 
100th anniversary of film and 
features world-class (and local 
Detroit) artists, including 
Alan Licht, Gretchen 
Gonzales, Rebecca Odes, 
John Olson, Nate Young, 

Sharon Gal, ∈Y∋, Scott 
Amendola, Steve Berlin (Los 
Lobos) and Steven Drozd 
(Flaming Lips). 
This event is made 
possible by the partnership 
and collaboration of Reboot, 
Detroit Public Theatre, 
Detroit Public Television, 
PBS Books, Third Man 
Records, Avalon Bakery, 
Jolly Pumpkin, Isaac Agree 
Downtown Synagogue, 
Source Booksellers and The 
Well. The Forward is the 
media sponsor. 

Grab your Monster Mash ticket at https://rebooting.

com/article/monster-mash. 

Jewish Detroit celebrates all things golem at Reboot event.
It’s A Monster Mash

Faina 
Lerman

Adam 
Mansbauch

Dr. Justin 
Sledge

Angelique 
Powers

YEVGENIYA GAZMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Lynne 
Avadenka

JEFF CANCELOSI

