Where is home?

Journal voyage 7 – Southern Germany and Austria

Harry and I are travelling in the beautiful area of south of Germany, we take much pleasure looking at the view through the windows of our rented car. Usually Harry is behind the steering wheel and I’m filming the scenery. Driving through the “black forest” causes a kind of spiritual feelings.

At his parents’ house, in the little town of “Shinegrun” in Baden Württenberg province, that has about 1,000 inhabitants, we stop for two days. I get to know his parents. His mother, a very gentle woman receives us with much love that includes high wiped cream cakes covered with chocolate. His father amuses every one with his jokes and stories and I have all reasons to feel sorry for not putting more effort in learning this language. The whole family seat together in the big living room, a vibrant discussion is taking place about education and Middle Eastern politics. This make me wonder what made Harry leave his family and homeland and settled down in Israel. Marko, his younger brother is very skeptical as for Harry’s contribution and success in bringing peace and reconciliation between Arabs and Jews in our trebled land. I suddenly remember Hanna Arendt remark about being a “Mensch” (a human being) that has no effect politically, as a matter of fact, she said, once you declare that you are only a mensch, (as the “Wise Nathan” said to the Turkish Sultan) you already are gone and  lost. And yet both brothers speak about their appreciation for their older brother activities in the West Bank.

I get more information about Harry’s motivation to move to Israel from his sister “Moosh” who lives in the very colorful town of Tubingen. Moosh speaks about the traumas that we experience in our lives as the cause and motivation for many things that we do later on. This very welcoming smart and energetic woman introduces us to some exiled Palestinian and Israelis who left their homeland and found their new home here.

Throughout our voyage I’m learning more about my companion, a kind of a strange human being in a world of segregation between states and nationalities. Armed with many languages he manages between the so many worlds. German is his mother’s tongue but also the language of his eldest daughter Miriam, whom we meet in Vienna, her home for the last few years. He likes to chats Arabic with the Palestinians we meet throughout our trip, and he feels lucky to practices with others all the other many language he knows half way. As a citizen of the big world he tries, and usually succeed, to communicate with every man woman and child, guests for a while in this world. He gently rejects the nickname I’m giving him: “Saint Harry” and I’m forced then to nickname him: “The German intimidator”

And I wonder what made me go to this trip with Harry, and I guess that I’m searching a kind of belief in human nature and behavior. Because to me Harry symbolizes the hope for equality and solidarity amongst all human beings. Close

For the last 12 years I've been working on a long documentary film that is very precious to me. "Where is home" deals with the relation between our private home and homeland in its various implications... Learn More