Germany

So now I have come to Germany to spend a week with my Germany relatives here. My Grandfather's cousin lives in Elmshorn with his family, and just about every time I come to Europe, I go to stay with them. And they very often go to America themselves, so we see each other frequently.

And every time I come, they get out their family tree, and loads of old pictures and paraphernalia. They know a lot about family history.

But this time is different. This time, Germany is a challenge.

First, on my second day, my German Aunt, who I am staying with, takes me on a trip to see a new emigration museum that they have in Hamburg at BallinStadt. It was the place where hundreds of thousands of emigrants from all over Germany and Eastern Europe came through before going to America, because it was the location of the HAPAG-Lloyd line, when they were still in the business of shipping people overseas instead of just cargo.

And one of the first things I saw was, under a plexiglass plate in the entryway floor, they had a 3D model and drawn-out plan of the old BallinStadt. It showed the museum buildings, now extant, amidst a plan of forty or so other buildings, containing everything from the bathhouses and disinfection places to churches and synagogues. I noticed how distinctly they separated Jews from Christians in the eating quarters, and living quarters as well. And I wondered if that was for the benefit of the Jews or the Christians. It seemed probably the latter, but that I thought it could have had a side benefit of making Kosher eating more possible.

There were stories of Jewish emigrants throughout the exhibit, and they showed numerous newspaper clippings about the kinds of problems Jews faced in that day, before, during, and after the War. But clearly this was not a Jewish-focused museum. Not that it took a particular side. It just did not seem to be all that concerned with the Jewish plight. It was more of a curiosity than anything else. But of course, we all know it was much more. And it was what was left unsaid that of course was murmuring underneath. But they can't say those things. They are German.

And the other problem with Germany is pork. It seems pork is everywhere, in almost every dish that involves meat. Even if they make a beef dish, it's like they throw in some pork, just for flavor, or taste, or something. And so I find myself eating vegetarian mostly, but sometimes I end up eating something with pork in it, only so that I don't have to refuse hospitality. It's difficult when my German grandmother has made the food herself and served it to me, and it's what they are eating for lunch, and she doesn't even speak much English. I smile and say "Danke Shoen."

I am not to the point yet where I feel I need to eat all kosher all the time, or I will make myself feel guilty because I ate something. But I am kind of trying it out, seeing how it feels, and being here makes me very aware of the presence of pork and also that fact that I don't feel much like I want to eat it. It seems strange. For a country with so many cows, why do they eat only pigs? But I do try to avoid it. When my German uncle offered to go buy me a pork steak, I said, no, thank you, I prefer beef. Instead of Italian cured ham on my bread in the morning, I choose only cheese. I will be glad to get back to Paris, and back to the States, where I won't have to be faced with pork in my soup on a regular basis.

B"H