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My 'Unorthodox' Journey to Berlin

JL;DR SUMMARY Deborah Feldman narrates her unexpected move to Berlin from the U.S. with her son, highlighting her complex relationship with Germany as a Jew. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

HolocaustJewish DiasporaJewish IdentityGermanyImmigrationBerlinCultural CoexistenceDeborah FeldmanSatmar Upbringing

Places mentioned

Berlin, Germany
"Shortly after my 28th birthday, I moved to Berlin with my 8-year-old son."
Munich, Bavaria, Germany
"but in cities like Munich, Frankfurt and Berlin, I often felt as if there was a shadow at the edge of my vision"
Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany
"but in cities like Munich, Frankfurt and Berlin, I often felt as if there was a shadow at the edge of my vision"
New York City, New York, United States
"to New York City, where I was born and raised."
Connecticut, United States
"Ive spent the last few years living in New England, where the subtle, nuanced undercurrent of anti-Semitism is positively glaring in comparison to New York City"
Massachusetts, United States
"Ive spent the last few years living in New England, where the subtle, nuanced undercurrent of anti-Semitism is positively glaring in comparison to New York City"
Vermont, United States
"Ive spent the last few years living in New England, where the subtle, nuanced undercurrent of anti-Semitism is positively glaring in comparison to New York City"
Neukölln, Berlin, Germany
"I soon learned that I had planted myself smack in the middle of the most Muslim neighborhood in the city: Neuklln."

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Retrieved 2026-03-25 05:31:24 UTC
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