LISA GOLDBERG: The magic of grandparents in the time of COVID-19: Remembering Bubbe

Originally Published in the Chronicle Herald on Friday, July 17th, 2020

“Over the last month, I find myself thinking frequently of my grandparents, and the many hours I spent in their company during my childhood. I often wonder what they would think about this pandemic, particularly given their collective experiences entailed living through the Depression, wartime and immigration. No doubt they knew a thing or two about living through a global crisis. Yet from my vantage point as a child, their stories were stories of encouragement, stories of humour and stories of love.
As a young girl growing up in Sydney on beautiful Cape Breton Island in a small Jewish community, I had the gift of my grandmother for many years. Bubbe, the Yiddish word for grandmother, came to live with us in the one-bedroom apartment in the basement of our home after my Zayde (grandfather) died. Because my bedroom was also in the basement, I often spent time with my Bubbe. Although memories fade over time, as I am now in my 50s, images of my Bubbe remain permanently ingrained in my DNA.”