Motherland is a comic book written by Michael Rubenfeld and illustrated by Jonathan Rotsztain. Rubenfeld's autobiographical narrative explores his relationship with his mother and Poland. In the piece, Michael proposes to his mother, Mary, that their deteriorating relationship is linked to the disconnect from their family's roots after the Holocaust. Based on a true story, Michael and his mother travel to Poland to confront their family's tragic past. While there, they discover the core of their intergenerational trauma and also, surprisingly, resurgent vibrant Jewish life.
In May 2016 the 20-page, two colour comic debuted in English and Polish editions. In July 2016, Rotstzain joined Rubenfeld on a Motherland book tour with the theatrical production of We Keep Coming Back, about the same events. They performed live readings and engaged in audience talk-backs with Jewish and Polish readers, visiting Szczecin, Kraków and Kazimierz Dolny. An article about the tour was featured on CJN and reviewed by Broken Pencil.
Motherland produced with the support of a #MakeItHappen Schusterman Alumni grant, an Asylum Arts grant, as well as funding from the ROI Community, the Polish Consulate General in Toronto and the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
