Auf Wiedersehen Berlin: The Israelis who decided to go home
The Jewish Independent — 20 September 2018
Last updated: 4 March 2024
Source - Pixabay.com
Mati Shemoelof reflects on two Israeli couples living in Berlin who decide to return to Israel, and on what their departure means for the Israeli community in Berlin.
The article explores some of the reasons Israelis leave Berlin and return to Israel, including raising children in a Hebrew-speaking environment, difficulties with the German language, and the desire to participate more directly in Israeli society and politics.
At the same time, Shemoelof considers what Israelis contribute to Berlin through culture, art, translation and community life. He reflects on the tension between leaving Israel and returning to it, and on the different ways migrants can influence both the society they leave and the society in which they live.
The story also looks at Berlin as a meeting place for exiled and migrant communities, and at the emotional complexity of saying goodbye to friends who have built a life in the city.
Published in: The Jewish Independent
Published: 20 September 2018
Last updated: 4 March 2024
Tags - Mati Shemoelof, Israelis in Berlin, Israeli migrants, Berlin, Israel, Israeli diaspora, migration, Jewish community Berlin, The Jewish Independent