Autobiographical interviews of Jews born in German speaking countries ("Yekkes") - 50/60 years after their immigration to Israel

Born 06/15/1921, Giessen. 1932-35 High school. 1936 one semester at the Hoffman Jeshiva in Frankfurt. Emigration to Palestine (Youth Alija): 1936. Activities: Work in a Kibbutz. Soldier in the British Army (Jewish Brigade). Telegraph office in Haifa. Soldier in the Independence War. Professional Soldier until retirement. Librarian at the University of Haifa. Literary and public work. Haifa-Giessen: formerly called Helmut, flight, emigration. About reconciliation efforts. Political relations. Situation in Giessen: strong Anti-Semitism, poor family. His mother died when he was 2, his father's new wife did not fit in, the children suffered a lot. After arrival in Israel: the ideal of building the country. No explicit news about what was going on in Germany. Did never really understand the holocaust. Parental home: fanatically religious grandfather. Episode about the return of his father from French captivity. His attitude toward religion. Anti-Semitism: was beaten up often and had to face his teachers comparison of Zionism with National Socialism. About his patriotic attitude towards Germany. His father believed everything would pass and things would go back to normal. About his rich relatives in the USA who helped him to escape from Germany. 1935 he left school, Jewish students were thrown out. Preparatory camp in Upper Silesia. Jeschiva/Frankfurt - Marseilles. Did not realize what was going on, his father said he would be able to return in 2 or 3 years. In Israel he did ; not know what he wanted to do. Work in a Kibbutz. Learned Hebrew very quickly, but was laughed at because of his german accent. About the religious Kibbutz with many East-Jews. His grandfather was a refugee from Russia and wanted to be a German. Life and education in the Kibbutz. Visits to other Kibbutzim showed him that they were more liberal and that Socialism was taught there. Some people left the Kibbutz, he left later. Individual life: wrote poems and was made fun of. Poems about everybody in the Kibbutz. After youth aliya he stayed in the Kibbutz, but he was weak and got excluded. He wanted to become a soldier and fight the Germans. Joined the army and lost his religion. Language situation: inside the Kibbutz Hebrew, only picked up a little English. After release from the British Army he joined the telegraph office in Haifa. His wife was from a rich family from Koenisgberg who took part in the foundation of the state of Israel. Changed profession very often. Illness after immigration made him weak. Is proud of his career. Why he writes in German. A visit to Germany with the Brigade during WWII. 1975 visit with his wife. Wants to write down history for children, further generations and later generations. Contacts with Germans are difficult. About the German language and speaking up. Writings for his children (translations into Hebrew). Which language he prefers depends on who he talks to. About the ability to express himself in German. Little contact with ; contemporary German literature. His literary project.