Boaz

“One of the things that create amazing food is immigration”

Born in Israel, Boaz immigrated to Scotland with his parents when he was ten years old. Now 27, he has made his way back to Israel and lives in Jerusalem, where he’s studying physics at the university. Even though it has been 12 years since Boaz returned from Scotland, he still feels like this time away has created a gap with the Israeli culture that cannot be closed. Being passionate about food, Boaz is fascinated by the effects that the interaction and cultural mixing has on dishes and how immigration broadens a country’s cuisine. One day he would like to return to Scotland.

Where do you feel most at home?

Where I feel most at home is a question that is very difficult for me to answer, because on the one hand my friends, my family, all live in Israel today. I also came back from Scotland at the age of 15 so the rest of my adult life was all here. On the other hand, in many ways I feel Scotland is the natural place for me to be. English is a language that is much more comfortable for me. Culturally I feel much more connected to British and Scottish culture than to Israeli culture. Integration into is So where do I feel more at home? That question is really complicated.

Do you think it’s difficult to integrate into Israeli society?

I think it’s harder to integrate into Israeli culture the later you arrive, I really think the stage you come at is most influential. I can say about myself that I was also born here and the whole time I was gone was only five years. It’s a relatively small part of my life, but I do feel that during this time I opened a gap with Israeli culture and I have not been able to cover it, even over the years. Even though I have been living in the country for 12 years since I returned from Scotland, there is still a gap and in my opinion there will always be a gap.

I also think that language is a significant obstacle for many people, because unlike many European languages ​​that have some similarities, so if I move between one country to another I can cope, Hebrew is something completely different. I do not think that the English in Israel is at a very high level, that anyone who comes from abroad can perhaps get along with a little English or something like that. The integration here is really not simple. Because of the language, and also because of the culture.

“When food from one place meets food from another it creates amazing combinations and new variations on existing foods from different countries that wouldn’t exist without immigration.”

Do you think that immigration is beneficial for a country?

I think that immigration is very very good for every country. I think the way it affects culture and how culture grows thanks to immigration is great. Immigration from different places allows us to think in new and different ways that we wouldn’t have in the first place, and we wouldn’t evolve past our existing state of mind. I love food, and I know that one of the things that create amazing food is immigration. When food from one place meets food from another it creates amazing combinations and new variations on existing foods from different countries that wouldn’t exist without immigration.

Do you think Israel is dealing well with immigration of Jewish Diaspora, work immigrants and refugees?

In general, it seems to me that the policy of the Israeli government is not good enough in all aspects relating to immigration, especially the immigration of asylum seekers and refugees. The treatment of this issue is not anywhere near where it is supposed to be. It is really unacceptable: the treatment they receive from the beginning, from the minute they arrive, and then when their status is examined. This whole issue does not receive enough attention by the government.

As for regular immigration, I don’t think I know a lot of people who immigrated to the country, so it is hard for me to say. From what little I do know, I do not think that the state is trying hard enough or has any interest to encourage assistance in all kinds of issues that immigrants deal with, because I think that it is interested in encouraging only a very specific immigration – Jewish immigration. The state is less interested in bringing other demographic groups to the country, which is why there is no broad support for such issues. And even with Jewish immigration, I suspect that the state does not want to bring all the Jews; it wants to bring only those Jews that agree with its [current] policies and who will help Israel maintain what it sees as a desirable [demographic] character. I do not think the state is looking to attract ‘interesting’ immigration that will help create some kind of change in the culture or the atmosphere of the state or in its policies.