The Monster that Kids Love
"The Monster" is a sculpture made of concrete located in the Rabinovitch park in Kiryat HaYovel neighborhood in Jerusalem, which is used as a slide for children. The monster is a figure of a fleshy woman painted in black and white, 3 sliding tongues painted in red coming down from her mouth, and a staircase leading to her head. The original name of the statue is "The Golem".
The statue was built in 1971-1972 by the French artist Niki de Saint Phalle, who also created the sculpture garden in the biblical zoo in Jerusalem. According to the artist, the statue represents feminist ideas and shatters the image of the weak and fragile woman. Some also believe that the sliding of children out of the monster's mouth symbolizes the birth process.
The famous mayor of Jerusalem, Teddy Kollek, approved the construction of the statue, but a municipality committee rejected it on the grounds that it was too scary for children. In a special discussion held at the city hall, the sculptor de Saint Phalle explained that scary things help children overcome their fears, and that the monster will help children overcome their fear of monsters. She managed to convince the committee members and the statue was approved at the end.
The monster has become a well-known and familiar attraction in Jerusalem, and a center of attraction for the city's children and tourists alike. Generations of children have played there and it has become an iconic and nostalgic site for many of them. The monster appears in many advertisements, maps, and posters, and a community pub named after her was even opened next to it. In 2003, the short film "Oats in Coffee" by director Talya Lavie was shot there, the focus of which is a restaurant that operates inside the statue.
(Anecdote authored by: עמיר)
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עִבְרִית