I grew up with my grandmother, a German-Jewish survivor of WWII, and so Alte Zachen by Ziggy Hanaor really called to me. The main character, Benji, is visiting his Bubbe Rosa, helping her get around the city so that she can gather ingredients for a special dinner. Bubbe Rosa is a survivor of the Holocaust, and has lived in NYC for 70 years. She is having a tough time adapting to all of the changes around her – different clothes, customs, music, places have closed or moved, and this makes her cranky and sometimes she lashes out at people. Benji is so patient with her and treats her with love and understanding. Bubbe Rosa also has several flashbacks to her life as a child in Germany and as a young woman in Germany, which gives the reader a better understanding of her life. I really loved this short quiet story, it made me a little sad, and the Yiddish peppered throughout it (there’s a glossary at the back), made me feel nostalgic for my childhood.
I would recommend this book to anyone, including adults, 7th grade and up. A beautiful book to share and discuss.
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