Alte Zachen (Old Things)

Benji and his grandmother, Bubbe Rosa, go shopping together for the ingredients for their Friday night dinner. As they wander through Brooklyn and Manhattan, Bubbe is often confused as the world around her does not match with her memories, leaving her feeling alienated and angry.

This is a very powerful and moving graphic novel. As grandmother and grandson walk through the city, the reader catches glimpses of Bubbe Rosa’s youth. Presented in colour, these flashbacks are triggered by sights and sounds from the present, giving the reader an insight into events that have shaped her life and personality. A group of children they pass spark her memories of school and callously being sent home with the other Jewish children, a tattooed stranger brings a vision of many arms bearing tattooed numbers and a dirty train, the memory of travelling on the red velvet seats with her mother and sister. Although puzzled by her reactions, her grandson supports and guides her.

Bubbe Rosa’s memories also drift to her relationships- with Gershon who was a baker and then Joe, Benji’s grandfather. Her memories of Gershon seem to be tinged with regret and at the end of the story, Rosa finds her way to his bakery where the two are reunited once more. Benji and his Bubbe then head for home to share their Friday night meal, walking in companionable silence.

‘Alte Zachen’ would be perfect for sharing with children in KS3 as a starting point for many discussions, including intergenerational relationships and displacement. The story is scattered with Yiddish terms and there is a useful glossary explaining these at the end of the book.

Alte Zachen Ziggy Hanaor, illustrated by Benjamin Phillips

Cicada Books ISBN: 978-1800660229

Originally reviewed for Reading Zone.