Recommended by Matthew Berman, a World War II history enthusiast
British Jewish writer and comedian David Baddiel has explored Jewish identity extensively in his work. His best-known book, Jews Don’t Count, was later adapted into a television documentary.
In this entertaining episode of the WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk series, Baddiel shares his family’s experiences during World War II. His mother was only five months old when her parents fled Germany in 1939 for the relative safety of Britain. Although she was too young to remember the move, the trauma of her family’s sudden departure left emotional scars that stayed with her throughout her life. Britain brought further hardship when her father was interned on the Isle of Man as an enemy alien soon after arriving.
Baddiel’s account of his grandfather’s internment offers a refreshing and humorous perspective on what is usually viewed as a dark chapter in Britain’s wartime history.
Other topics of particular interest to Jewish listeners include contemporary antisemitism, the dilemma of qualifying for a German passport while feeling reluctant to associate with the country that devastated your family’s lives a generation earlier, and more.
I am thoroughly enjoying the entire series, but especially recommend the David Baddiel episode. Cape Jewish Chronicle readers are likely to find themselves laughing about subjects that are usually treated with great seriousness.
The Jacob Gitlin Library has David Baddiel’s autobiographical book My Family, in which he tells the family history.
NOTE: The views expressed in these recommendations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Cape Jewish Chronicle.
