Does an Israel make the Best Pretzels in Berlin, Germany?
Oren Dror has lived in Berlin since 2001 and Pretzels are his passion. It all started by chance. He was in Berlin selling pretzels from a cart.
It went so well that he made his own business out of it. The Israeli always knew that he wanted to work in the restaurant business.
But opening a shop here in Germany was a life-changing decision. “It wouldn’t be the same if I had done it in Tel Aviv because of the excitement of doing this in a foreign country, in a foreign language. The novelty wouldn’t be there for me, the charm wouldn’t be there, like it is in Berlin.
” Oren Dror was born in Tel Aviv, the second largest city in Israel. His father came from Yemen, his mother has German roots. In 2000 (1:09), at the age of 21, he happened to stop in Berlin on the way to Amsterdam. And he took his first German language course.
“At the time, I didn’t know that I would stay here for so long, it’s 19 years now – I had only planned to spend a few months here and to learn German – as a kind of pastime and also to get to know people.
The Berlin Holocaust Memorial. Much of Dror’s family was murdered in the Holocaust. When he decided to stay in Berlin, one opinion was particularly important to him: that of his grandfather Heinz Wolf.
He fled from Hamburg to Shanghai with his mother in 1941 and later emigrated to Israel. When Dror wanted to settle down in Berlin,he talked to his grandfather – and left the decision up to him.
My grandfather was happy about the decision. Oren, he said, I am glad that you are going to Germany, you are the first of my descendants to return to my home country and speak my native language.
I welcome that, so do it.” A synagogue in the Kreuzberg district – this is where Dror comes when he wants to feel closer to his native Israel. Even though he likes to live in Berlin, sometimes he misses his family.
My heart is always a little torn, but still,I’m not going back to Israel, at least not permanently, even if I miss people.
I know for sure that as soon as I’m in Israel,I’ll miss Berlin a great deal. ” And he really has no reason to leave: In Berlin, he feels at home. I love Berlin, Berlin is also in my heart, what makes Berlin special is the possibilities I have here to open my wings.” Oren Dror – a Berliner from Israel.
