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

Naftali Kadmon was born Fritz Hermann Kaufmann on 12/11/1925 in Aachen, Germany. He attended elementary school in Cologne. Emigration to Palestine with his family in 1934, further attendance of school. Studies of cartography, later professor at the Hebrew University. Leading cartographer for the Israeli government, Israeli specialist delegate for the UN. ; Interview: The whole interview deals with topics about the influence of Kadmon's German-Jewish home on his self-image and the languages he uses. First, he briefly tells his biography. He has musical and literary interests that were stimulated by his parents. His knowledge of Hebrew, English and German and his use of technical language. His professional contacts. Episodes from the life of his parents in Germany and Israel. As a Yekkes' child he had a feeling of being an outsider during his school time, but he does not consider the emigration as a rupture in his life. In his opinion there exists a Yekkish self-consciousness and he regrets that this tradition slowly disappears among the younger generation. In the past, the term “Yekke” was used consciously as a way of ethnic demarcation. He compares German Jews with other Israeli immigrants. His children are more concerned with the conflict between Israelis and Arabs than with their parents' tradition. Comparison of typical Yekkish traits to the behavior in present Germany. Comparison of Israel and the United States. Comparing the present to the former German language he does not find great differences. About language commissions (of which he is a member) and new words in Hebrew. Considerations whether he associates a certain language with home. He pronounces Hebrew with an accent that is often considered as Dutch; the reason might be his “Rhineland pronunciation” which is typical for Aachen. Claims that nobody in Israel speaks Hebre without any accent.