Krolik

Real Name: Krolik (Polish for Rabbit, Magistrate and Kinglet (small king, not the bird))

Identity/Class: Toy Rabbit Golem

Occupation: Toy Rabbit

Affiliations: Rebecca Rotenberg (original owner), Senne Wouters and Sanne Sarens.

Enemies: Nazis.

Known Relatives: None.

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile

First Appearance: Senne & Sanne #1- Rebecca R.

Powers/Abilities: Krolik was made by Mrs. Rotenberg, a descendant of Rabbi Loew. Krolik himself described her to non-Jewish teenagers as having magical powers, but in all likelihood that refers to something Kabbalistic rather than witchcraft or so. Unlike the traditional golem Krolik can speak, giving us a better insight in his abilities. He can speak and write Dutch and write Hebrew, but it may be that he is - as a result of his golemlike nature - unable to pronounce Hebrew correctly, or at least not words with a special power such as "Emet". Krolik can remember the future and knows how one can go from one period to another but cannot travel himself to another period in which he already exists. His consciousness is very inhuman, his emotions are not. It is unknown whether this limit holds true for everybody using that way to travel in time or just to Krolik himself. Krolik claimed that as long as he was with Rebecca nothing bad could happen to her. It is likely that Krolik has a lot more esoteric knowledge and it could be suspected that Mrs. Rotenberg made Krolik to protect both her daughter and a treasure chest of (mystical) Jewish knowledge. Krolik is physically strong enough to hurt a human being. Krolik is and stays inanimate unless he gets a loving hug. A loving hug animates him for a certain period in which he can think, move and speak. As such he is directly powered by kindness, which does protect the world against Krolik activating on his own and against Krolik being activated by evil persons. Such a protection is useful as Krolik seems to have no conscience when it comes to saving the life of Rebecca Rotenberg and he may be almost indestructible. When Krolik's body is damaged he can burst in fire and emerge undamaged from another fire some time later.

History: Mrs. Rotenberg made Krolik and gave him to her daughter Rebecca; if the cuddly toy rabbit got a loving hug he came to life. On the 14th of April 1941 Rebecca lost Krolik in the Antwerp Zoo when a German soldier abused her father. Krolik must have been found and given to another Jewish child - one who did not give him loving hugs- and became part of a travelling exposition of toys belonging to Jewish Children in WW II. When that exposition left the toy museum in Mechelen a crate fell on stairs and even though the toys were not damaged a number of them fell out the crate, a teen boy Senne Wouters helped putting the toys back in the crate. Krolik was overlook until Senne noticed him, and went after the men with the crate; on the way he met his friend Sanne, who gave Krolik a loving hug. Krolik came to life and sent Senne and Sanne to the Antwerp Zoo - after adventures in Antwerp Krolik came to life again and brought Senne and Sanne to Rebecca by a jump forward through time. In his desire to protect Rebecca, Krolik prevented Senne from telling her the terrible truth about the Shoah; a bit later the Rotenbergs were with the other Jews of Heide transported by truck to Mechelen. The train to the East was stopped by the resistance and Rebecca tries to escape but was shot and went back in the train for medical treatment and did not return. Krolik was shot too, and when Senne and Sanne went back to Krolik in the Museum, they discovered that the Krolik there had been shot through too. When informed of the fate of the Rotenbergs, Krolik ignited, bursting into fire.

Krolik later jumped out of a homeless person's fire when Senne was near. They shared a moving adventure together with two Muslim teens back around the era of the founding of Islam.

Comments: Krolik is a main character in the very engaged comic series Senne & Sanne by Marc Verhaegen.

The traveling exposition Krolik was part of is real. The exposition was organized by the Dutch Friends of Yad Vashem, which meant that the toys in it were either to some degree "Dutch" or coming directly from Yad Vashem. Belgian toys like Krolik were Yad Vashem's, so it can be concluded that Yad Vashem is Krolik's owner.

Profile provided by Theodoor Westerhof.

CLARIFICATIONS: None.

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

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