Origins- life in Germany

Frankfurt Am Main, 1911

Rudy Kaufmann was born to Raphael and Ida Kaufmann in Frankfurt (am Main) in 1911.

His father, Raphael, came from a well-off family living in the German territory of Saarland. For the most part of the 19th century, generations of Kaufmanns lived in Hilbringen (today part of the city of Merzig) where Raphael was born. He had nine siblings .

The Kaufmann family in Hilbringen, Saarland, Germany

A German document showing Rudy's close lineage
(Rudy, his parents, and his brother are labeled.

Rudy's mother, Ida, was  born in Köln, Germany to the Isay family. Interestingly enough, her mother (Sara Herzig Isay) was born as a Kaufmann as well.

Raphael and Ida got married and at some point moved to Frankfurt where they had Kurt, and 5 years later- Rudy (Rudolf). Raphael worked as a medical doctor with an expertise in dermatology and gynecology. Ida took care of the children and the household, and the family lived a prosperous life. 

In the 1930s, Rudy started his engineering degree in the esteemed Technische Hochschule Darmstadt (The Technology and Engineering University of Darmstadt). After he completed his studies and received his diploma as a mechanical engineer, he made a bold move. 1933 marks the year when the Nazy party took over Germany and later established discrimination laws against Jews. While most Jews preferred to stay in Germany, hoping that the appalling regime will soon pass, others decided to leave Germany and immigrate. Tens of thousands of Jews, among them young Rudy, moved to Mandatory Palestine, which will later become Israel.  

This wave of immigration has a special place in the history of Zionism. It is known as the "Fifth Aliyah". Just imagine people moving from the cold climate and "classic" European culture to  the hot, humid, and "bubbly" Levant. The German immigrants (known locally as "Yekkes") significantly contributed to the shaping of the local Jewish community, especially with regards of education and culture.

״לפעמים אני זוכרת בגעגועים סגנון זה של ריחוק שבכבוד, של נימוס שאינו גורע מחמימות הידידות, - כאן, בארץ הזאת, שנשימתה שרב לוהט, ובה חיים כולם האחד בחדרי חדריו של עמיתו; בה אנשים דוחפים עצמם לרשות לא-להם, ומכבידים זה על זה ב"חברתיות" מוגזמת הנובעת מאי-ביטחון פנימי״

(quote from a Yekke, describing the cultural gaps with the local "Levant" culture).