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

David Witzthum grew up in Haifa. He served as a meteorologist in the Air Force. He studied music (violincello) in Jerusalem, and European integration in Bruges. Later he studied political philosophy in Oxford for three years. During this time DW already worked for the Israeli radio. Between 1982 and 1985 he was foreign correspondent in Germany for an Israeli TV station. He still works for Israeli television and is a part-time lecturer of political sciences and history at the universities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. DW is married and has 2 children. ; DW's father came from Berlin, most of his family perished in the Holocaust. DW's parents met in Israel, they spoke German at home and the culture at home was German too. His mother, with roots in Russia, grew up with the German language in Czernowitz, where his mother grew up with the German language. Most of their friends in Haifa spoke German too, but DW's grandfather, a strict Zionist, insisted that the family spoke Hebrew with the children. ; In Haifa DW's friends were all children of Yekkes. His school was founded by Yekkes, and had a Yekkish “Leitkultur” (Mozart, Beethoven, Schiller, Heine). Everybody was convinced Israeli though and Hebrew was the only language used. DW did not consider this as a contradiction, but as an interesting mixture. He talks about his theory how German expertise was transformed into the Israeli Hebrew culture, as examples he chooses medicine, jurisprudence, history and other fields. He claims the influence of Yekkish journalists caused a revolution in Hebrew journalism (Haaretz, Maariv etc.). He considers the German culture as culture of an elite and as an educational culture (punctuality, a high work ethic, respect for others and also for authority, etc.). ; The Yekkish culture was dominant during DW's childhood. He noticed disadvantages of Yekkishness when he went to other families. He tells it was not a pleasure to be a Yekkes' child, his mother's Russian background and mentality was a good balancing element. DW's wife has a Russian-Polish background, he knows that many Yekkes (his father included) did not appreciate that. He thinks he is obedient towards authorities like a typical Yekke and therefore sometimes has virtue conflicts in Israel. In DW'S opinion, the Yekkish culture has dominated the whole country only in the 1930s, the Yekkish influence decreased in the Israeli “melting pot”. It does still have influence on the cultural life though, only transformed into Hebrew. ; DW began to ask questions about the past as a young adult. His parents only visited Germany after decades. His father's brother married a catholic nurse and lived in Germany, although he was in a concentration camp in Poland and later in Buchenwald. DW's father had a difficult relationship to them. DW did not go to Germany with his parents, but didn't reject contacts with Germany. He was very interested to go to Berlin and see where his family came from. He went to West Berlin for the first time in the 1970s, when he was working in Bonn for two months. From 1982 until 1985 he returned when he was working as a foreign correspondent for Israeli TV. He had not spoken German before and took language lessons to prepare himself. DW tells some stories what happened to him in Germany. Once, when he told a Bavarian man his father came from Berlin, the man replied DW himself was half-German then. DW was struck and amused by this idea. He feels comfortable when he speaks German and also easily interprets the typical German body language. His Israeli part does not understand why Germans are afraid of patriotism. DW understands that some young Germans don't want to hear more about the Holocaust, because it is discussed so often. He is however afraid that they won't oppose radical parties because of their weariness. ; DW thinks Israel is still a melting pot, but with a rather individualistic ideology. The sense of responsibility has increased because of the political tensions. DW is not worried that many young Israelis want to go abroad. European passports are very sought-after, mainly because they make travelling easier. He thinks Israelis are not as depressive as the Germans. At the time of the interview he gives a seminar at the Hebrew University on the image of Germany in Hollywood movies. DW thinks religious Jews are more likely to have negative feelings towards Germany.