The Unfinished Corner

The Unfinished Corner is a remarkably Jewish children’s fantasy adventure, standing out in its genre for its depth and thoughtfulness. Just before her Bat Mitzvah, Miriam travels to Yenne Velt, the Yiddish “elsewhere,” which is also the realm of Lilith and her demon offspring. With her are three friends and a rabbi, who reveals himself as a helpful angel. He tells the children that during creation, a tiny corner was left unfinished, so the world is falling into imbalance. This of course is a famous kabalistic concept. 

In Yenne Velt, they travel the Desert of Zin, where they find the stranded generation who died out before reaching the Promised Land. Miriam, sister of Moses, greets them there and they ride the giant lion of Judah Ma’alachiel. Continuing their adventures through midrashim and folklore, they find Ishtar, who used the name of God to escape a relationship with one of the Nephilim and became the evening star. She gives Miriam’s Yeshiva friend Avi the tsohar, legendary light of creation, and tells him, “If you’re going to finish the universe, you should have something that was there at the start.” These obscure characters and tales are unusual for modern adaptations, a delightful journey into the rich depths of Jewish legend. The art is also colorful and evocative. 

When their journey takes them to the historic synagogues of Prague, reproduced beautifully in the comic, Avi voices one of the great questions of folklore and asks the golem why it didn’t stop the Nazis. The Golem of Prague is a better-known legend from a more modern time but fits well into the lore. In another example of well-known legend, the children meet Lilith, who rehabilitates her sexist legend by revealing how she’s truly been cursed.  

All their adventures show Miriam’s friends displaying different talents. With her understanding of the hypocrisy of how men judge women’s beauty, Judith outwits Azazel while celebrating Miriam’s “big nose and curly hair and freckles” in a teaching moment for young readers. David, who’s Black and speaks Farsi, uses his music skills to charm other demons and blow the shofar. Judith comes from the Latin world and Avi appears to be on the spectrum. Each child enriches their journey by knowing different Jewish legends. After these adventures, Miriam understands she should confess her fears: “The grownup thing…the Jewish thing…is to trust your friends.” As she returns for her Bat Mitzvah, she insists she’ll keep striving to repair the world. 

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