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

Ronit Forst was born in Eilat, the family moved to Zahala when she was one and a half years old. She finished high school in 1977 and served in the military for two and a half years. She made several trips abroad before studying Geography and Israel Studies between 1982 and 1985. From 1986 to 1991 she lived in New York, she married and returned to Israel with her husband. Their son was born in 1992. RF moved back to New York in 1993, there she divorced after which she returned to Israel with her son in 1994. In New York she ran a business in silver jewelry, in Israel she started to work as personal assistant at “Negev Ceramics”. ; RF's discusses the interview with her father, she is not able to read the published texts because the publications are in German. Her father did not want to speak German with his children, just because he did not see a reason to. RF's father knows English very well, in his opinion RF's mother did not speak any language perfectly. Even her German wasn't very good since she had to break off school in Germany at the age of 14 or 15 years. RF's mother also never attended any Hebrew or English classes, but picked up these languages by listening to others. She was not ashamed to use those languages, in contrast to her sister who never learned Hebrew. RF's father is an autodidact too, but he knows Hebrew and English perfectly. RF's parents spoke German with each other when they didn't want their children to understand. RF's elder sister understands German, RF only knows some words that are similar to English. ; RF did not notice a difference between her family and Israelis who came from Poland or Russia. In Israel it was considered normal that people came from different origins. RF did not see her parents as typical Yekkes, which she refers to as having an academic degree, lacking of humor, and being strict. She thinks her mother had an unusual sense of humor and both of her parents did not come from academic families. Her parents also weren't more strict than others. RF then analyzes the negative connotations of the word “Yekke” and describes her associations with the word. RF's parents were socialists who did not like the arrogance of many Yekkes who were looking down on others. RF's maternal grandparents didn't want to go to Israel, they thought it was an uncivilized country. In RF's education, work and discipline were very important virtues. She thinks these are German characteristics, but that they also descend from her parents' origin of families of hard working farmers. RF gives an analysis of Israeli socialism. ; RF tells about her father's officer's career in the army. At the age of 58 or 59 he began studies at the university and finished them with a master's degree. RF describes his research on the history of the German Jews in the countryside, his own family tradition. Her father left Germany in 1935, and he told RF stories from his childhood and youth in Germany. He never talked about the time immediately before his emigration though. He only started to tell more during a recent journey through Germany together with his three daughters, they visited his parents' house. RF feels sad she never had grandparents. RF's mother expressed her feelings very often, her parents were killed in a concentration camp. Both RF's father and mother spent their first years in kibbutzim, the adjustment to the kibbutz was easier for her father than for her mother. RF's mother came from a wealthy family and was sent to Israel at the age of 16 with Aliyat Hano'ar (Youth Aliya). She felt alone and frail. RF's father already had experience in farming when he came as a chaluz. ; Since she visited Germany with her father and sisters, RF understands her parents' stories and her mother's behavior better. Each of the three sisters perceived the journey in a different way. RF visited Germany for the first time when she was 22 years old, she travelled from Munich to Scandinavia and was very impressed by the landscape. She is planning another trip to Germany, together with her father and her son who she wants to show their German roots. Her mother went to Germany several times: in 1970 she visited her home village and her parents' house, which was a helpful experience to her. In 1984/85 RF's mother had a treatment in Wiesbaden, but she did not feel comfortable there. RF's uncles, the brothers of her father, never wanted to return to Germany, but her father travels there rather often. ; RF discusses typical Yekkish behavior, e.g. orderliness. Her mother and aunt were very orderly. RF describes their attitude towards work as their “German” sense of duty. RF never noticed a lack of affection in her family, on the contrary she thought it was strange when her Polish friend was often kissed by her parents. RF's father never kissed her and she did not miss it, her ex- husband often complained though about the lack of affection in RF's family. Outside observers consider RF to be a typical Yekke, but she is not aware of it herself. Her family is friendly with a teacher in her father's hometown Kastellaun. RF tells about friends and relatives who went to Germany for a couple of years, for example because of free university studies. She tells there are different opinions about this among the descendants of Holocaust victims and survivors.