The ZigZag Kid. Educational Study Guide by Ittay Flescher

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1 The ZigZag Kid Synopsis: Nono Feierberg wants to be like his father the best police inspector in the world but he constantly gets in trouble. Two days before his Bar Mitzvah, he is sent away to his uncle Shmuel, who is charged with getting him back on track. Educational Study Guide by Ittay Flescher However, during the train journey to his uncle s home, Nono is given one last chance to prove himself. Together with master-burglar Felix Glick an old acquaintance of his father s he stops the train and enters a world of disguises, chases, French chansons and Zohara, a mysterious woman whose secrets will change Nono s life forever. The ZigZag Kid is suitable for students in Years 7-12 undertaking: History/Humanities Dutch and French Jewish Studies Psychology The ZigZag Kid is suitable for units on the following subjects: Roots Project Family Community and Identity Nature or Nurture 1

2 Nature or Nurture The film opens with the words of our insightful protagonist: Whether you want it or not, everybody has a family. Everybody has roots. Most people are a little like their dad, and a little like their mum. Kind of a mix. I wouldn t know. - Nono Feierberg Even though this is phrased as a statement, it also contains within it a number of implicit questions. How much does your family impact on your identity? Are you the way you are because of the way you were born, or the way you were raised? How important is it to know where you come from? Are you interested in exploring all the branches of your family tree? I am a Zig Zag Person, always different Felix Glick 2

3 The zig-zag path can appear random and goalless. Sometimes even to the person who is traveling it. The zig-zag person may take longer to arrive at a measurable success than the straight approach, but the zig-zag person can still arrive somewhere they want to be. - Sandra Tayler In describing himself as a zig-zag person Felix Glick is encouraging the audience to think about the best way to achieve a goal. Gaby, Inspector Feierberg s secretary, wants Nono to discover his family roots in a zig-zag manner, because his father, Police Inspector Feierberg, refuses to share it with his son. Nono is set up up with mysterious clues and characters in this fantasy film, to discover the truth of his past in a most unconventional way. He is being encouraged to discover his own truth like a detective and in this way also commenting on the idea of balancing family tradition and discovering your own path. All at a crucial age, on the cusp of adulthood. The Zig-Zag Path Are you interested in learning more about where you come from? If finding out about your past, meant finding uncomfortable truths, would you still want to know? In a conventional world, what are the advantages of being a zig-zag person? 3

4 Bar Mitzvah The history of the bar mitzvah dates back to a fifth-century blessing written by the Rabbis of the Talmud. The Talmud is a central text of Rabbinic Judaism, which forms the basis for all codes of rabbinic law, based on the opinions of thousands of Rabbis. In it, the father thanks God for freeing him from responsibility for the deeds of his child, who is now accountable for his own actions. According to the Talmud, boys were originally permitted to perform many ritual acts, for example, wearing tefillin (phylacteries, worn by observant Jewish men during weekday morning prayers), once they had developed the necessary expertise and were able to understand the ritual s significance Later, this changed, and children were not allowed to perform these rituals until they had reached the age of 13. At this age a ceremony, celebrating the first performance of these rituals, began to make sense. Today, it is quite common to see Jews throughout the world marking a Bar and Bat Mitzvah (the equivalent for girls) with both a religious ceremony in a synagogue, and a secular celebration with the family and friends. 1 Bar Mitzvah Torah Portion ² Coming of Age And that s my story. I ve accepted that I won t be completely like my dad, or completely like my mum, but that s ok, because I am like me. And that s why I would like to thank the rest of my family for being boring. Because without you, I would not be who I am. Nono s Bar Mitzvah speech Do you think it s important to have coming-of-age rituals? Why or why not? In the lead up to Nono s Bar Mitzvah, he discovers much about his past. Should coming-of-age rituals be focused on learning about one s past, or one s future? Based on what Nono says in his Bar Mitzvah speech, which concludes the film, do you think his coming-of-age experience was beneficial? If you were to create your own coming-of-age ritual, what would it include? 1 Paraphrased from 2 Royalty Free Stock Photo: BAR MITZVAH TORAH PORTION by Jmphoto 4

5 Whatever Lola Wants Whatever Lola Wants is a popular song which features several times in the film. The music and words were written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross for the 1955 musical play Damn Yankees. The saying was reportedly inspired by Lola Montez, an Irish-born Spanish dancer and mistress of King Ludwig I of Bavaria. 1 Lola Montez, 1847 Portrait von Joseph Karl Stieler. In 1846, Lola Montez arrived in Munich and soon began to use her influence on the king and this, coupled with her arrogant manner and outbursts of temper, made her unpopular with the local population, particularly after documents were made public. Despite the opposition, Ludwig made her Countess of Landsfeld on his next birthday, 25 August, For more than a year she exercised great political power, which she directed in favour of liberalism and against the conservatives and the Jesuits. Her reputation in 19th-century Germany was highly negative, but in the 20th century Germans came to admire her pluck and liberalism in defiance of Bavarian conservatism. 2 In what way is the life of Lola Montez similar to that of Nono s mother Zohara? Lola Chiperolla initially wants to have no contact with Nono, until he sings the song Whatever Lola Wants. Why do you think this song sparked such a reaction? Song lyrics to Whatever Lola Wants - Richard Adler & Jerry Ross Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets And little man, little Lola wants you Make up your mind to have (make up your mind to have) No regrets (no regrets) Recline yourself, resign yourself, you re through I always get what I aim for And your heart and soul is what I came for Whatever Lola wants (Lola wants), Lola gets (Lola gets) Take off your coat, don t you know you can t win (Can t win, you ll never, You re no exception to the rule I m irresistable you fool Give in (Give in, you ll Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets I always get what I aim for And your heart and soul is what I came for Whatever Lola wants (Lola wants), Lola gets (Lola gets) Take off your coat, don t you know you can t win (Can t win, you ll never, You re no exception to the rule I m irresistable you fool Give in (give in, you ll Give in

6 The ZigZag Kid : A Novel by David Grossman Unlike the film which is based in Europe, the novel which inspired the film takes place in Israel. Synopsis from Booklist: "Zigzag kids" don't fit into the symmetrical worlds of school and society. Nonny, son of a by-the-book Jerusalem cop and a free-spirited mom, is one such kid, and as he approaches his Bar Mitzvah, Nonny's life undergoes its grandest zigzag yet. Embarked on a train trip to Haifa, and knowing that a birthday surprise has been arranged by his father, Nonny is not particularly shocked when the charismatic Felix appears to stop the train at gunpoint and whisk him away in a limousine;. part of the surprise, he figures. Wrong. The kidnapper is his father's nemesis, a master thief who just happens to be Nonny's grandfather. Felix takes Nonny on a picaresque coming-of-age journey into the boy's past and that of his long-dead mother, whose crime-tainted history has been buried by Nonny's father. Despite a too-elaborate premise and a few moments that strain credibility, Israeli novelist Grossman's inventive tale is a rollicking delight, combining on-theroad adventure with meaty reflection on what it means to be happy. "Zigzag kids don't fit into the symmetrical worlds of school and society 6