Jewish Magic and Superstition

Jewish Magic and Superstition by Joshua Trachtenberg, first published in 1939, offers a rich and scholarly exploration of Jewish magical thought and practice from the 10th to the 15th centuries. Drawing on folklore, religious texts, and cultural tradition, Trachtenberg traces how superstition, ritual, and mysticism shaped daily life, belief, and imagination within medieval Jewish communities.
The book explains the origins and meanings behind familiar customs—such as the breaking of a glass at weddings and the roots of the phrase mazel tov in astrological belief—while also delving deeply into legendary beings and supernatural forces. Golems, Lilith and her offspring, succubi, werewolves, and lesser-known creatures like the estrie, mare, and broxa all appear within these pages, alongside detailed discussions of talismans, amulets, charms, and other ritual objects.
Trachtenberg also examines dream interpretation, healing practices, necromancy, and various forms of divination, presenting them with both historical rigor and narrative clarity. Written by an American Reform rabbi and developed from his Columbia University Ph.D. thesis, this work remains a foundational study of Jewish folklore, magical tradition, and the intersection of faith, fear, and imagination in the medieval world.