Little My, Big Chutzpah: How a Jewish Woman Became a Moomin Icon

In a magical world of white, wide-eyed, and soft-hearted creatures, there are no wars. No hatred. No racism. Everyone simply... lives together. This is the world of the Moomins! Created by Tove Jansson, a Finnish artist who, behind her quiet lips, concealed storms of love, protest, and deep connections with her Jewish friends.

But this story doesn't begin in Moomin valley. It begins in the gray reality of Europe in the 1930s, in days of growing antisemitism, conservative parents, and one talented young woman falling in love with someone she "shouldn't."

First Love

Tove was just starting her career when she met Sam Vanni, a Jewish artist several years her senior, a teacher and object of admiration. She wrote about him in her diary, fell head over heels in love, and even discussed marriage. But when her parents found out? her world shook. Sam was Jewish, and that was enough for her father to become very angry.

This didn't prevent Tove from meeting him, but she wasn't willing to sacrifice her independence either. The romance ended, but the connection didn't. Shortly after, Sam married Maya London, an energetic, opinionated, and brilliant Jewish woman. she became Tove's close friend. She also became the figure on whom one of the most beloved characters in the Moomin universe was based – Little My.

Little My Was Actually Real

Maya, who also created the Israeli connection to the Moomins, was the woman Tove consulted for every new book. "Tove wouldn't publish a book if I hadn't read it first," she proudly recounted. Maya even said - with a mischievous smile - that some of Little My's lines were taken directly from her.

And not just lines. The spirit of resistance to injustice, the small wisdom with a big hammer, all these were both Maya herself, and the core of the Jewish social message: don't be afraid to stand up against evil.

Maya's connection to Israel grew stronger with age, and at 76, she immigrated to the country. Ever thoughtful of her friend, she sent Tove a video cassette with an episode of the Moomin series in "the holy language" - Hebrew. According to Maya, Tove was deeply moved by this gesture, bridging their friendship across cultures and languages.

A Home for the Free, a Home for the Different

Jansson's characters weren't created randomly. They were her way of escaping from a world that wasn't safe for women, artists, Jews - and actually anyone who didn't conform. Her father, a supporter of Germany, despised Jews. Tove hated the war and what stood behind it – racism, tyranny, deafening silence. She was queer, liberal, and brave at heart.

The many letters she wrote over the years to Eva Konikoff, a Jewish photographer who emigrated to the United States, became a kind of life journal - evidence of a deep friendship between women who chose to think, love, and dream differently.

When the Vision Came to Television

The Moomins' journey from books to worldwide phenomenon was remarkable. First came comic strips, then theater productions, and finally animation. The famous Japanese animated series was spearheaded by Tove's brother Lars Jansson and Jewish producer Dennis Livson. The idea for producing the series was Dennis's initiative.

In his youth, Livson was deeply active in the Jewish community, volunteered during the Six-Day War in Israel, and served for a period as chairman of Maccabi in Helsinki. His connection to the Moomins didn't stop with television! Dennis also established and managed the "Moominworld" theme park in Naantali, Finland, bringing the gentle creatures to physical life for visitors from around the globe.

It was Livson who sent the Hebrew-language cassette to Maya, who passed it on to Tove, moving her to tears. Through his vision and entrepreneurship, he managed to transform the Moomins from a niche story into a world classic that continues to enchant new generations.

A Story that Connects Communities

Tove Jansson's inner world was full of contrasts: forbidden love and classic creation, a conservative family and free-spirited friends, snowy Scandinavia and warm Jewish spirit. The Moomins were the connection. an imagined space where every person, whoever they may be, deserves love, protection, and peaceful life.

In many ways, the Moomins are exactly what we're trying to build: a bridge between cultures. Between Iceland struggling to understand Judaism, and Jews looking for a place to speak of emotion, not just identity.

And Little My? She will always be there, ready to throw the truth in your face, with a small smile and an uncompromising bangs.