Second generation of immigrants from German speaking countries ("Yekkes")

Tom Lewy immigrated in 1938 together with his parents, he grew up and attended school in Tel Aviv. He served in the military and from 1958 studied Drama and Theory of Drama at Tel-Aviv University. From 1964 -1967 he studied at the Yale School of Drama (M.F.A) and between 1968-1971 he did a PhD in Theater Studies at New York University. From 1971 till his retirement in 2004 he worked, first as lecturer, later full professor and finally head of the Theater Department, at Tel-Aviv University. Parallel to his scientific work, TL always directed plays at Israeli theaters. ; TL made his first contacts in Germany in the 1990s at a conference organized by Tel-Aviv University and the University of Konstanz, after which he worked with colleagues from Konstanz on several occasions. Because of his teaching in Germany, TL speaks German now better than ten years ago. When hospitalized in Germany he had a roommate, who praised Israel so exuberantly that TL felt almost sick. He always wondered which function the older Germans might have had during the Nazi era. A few years ago he visited his parents' former house in Germany for the first time, he developed a good relationship to the current dwellers of the house. At present TL goes to Germany once or twice a year, he even celebrated his 70th birthday in his native town. Nevertheless he always has ambiguous feelings. ; TL thinks that he is between the first and the second generation of Yekkes: he attended a German-speaking kindergarten in Tel Aviv. When he was four and a half years old, he came to a Hebrew-speaking kindergarten and got many problems because he was a Yekke child. He felt ashamed of his Yekkish origin. TL's father was a musician, already hired in Berlin by the founder of the Palestine Orchestra (later Israel Philharmonic Orchestra), Bronislaw Hubermann. Unlike many other Yekkes' children, he spoke German with his parents. ; TL analyses the differences between the culture of Jews from Eastern Europe and the Yekkish culture, that was hardly accepted in Israel. TL has never forgotten German because his father's recording discs attracted him and gave him a good access to the language. His parents have always spoken German with each other. Today TL does not always feel comfortable as an Israeli, but he does not feel German or American either. He analyzes his difficult feelings towards his German name Thomas. He describes precisely why anything German was branded in Israel. He has never suppressed the Yekkish part of his identity like many others did. His parents were very warm. He exemplifies the Yekkish way of thinking by an anecdote about his father. TL considers the Yekkes as victims of the Israeli society. He thinks that a special Jewish tendency towards idealism and humanism was formed by German ideas. TL's identity is divided because of the big difference between his parents' German culture and the Hebrew culture. He describes how the large and mainly well-educated Yekkish group was pushed to the edge of society. He thinks that the orderly Yekkes did not cope with the Eastern, chaotic way of life. The problem had already started when the refugees from Middle Europe came to the Zionist country, mainly formed by Jews from Eastern Europe. In his opinion Israel is becoming more and more Levantine. He states that the Yekkes, maybe more than the Germans, are not satisfied by mediocrity. ; TS does not like the success-oriented mentality and the partly fake American friendliness. He thinks that the American, anti-humanistic influence is dominant in Israel. Even abroad TL does not fully feel as an Israeli, he has a German passport but would never go to live in Germany. He feels very uncomfortable when he sees German uniforms because of the historic associations. He thinks his generation can't get away from this past.