Tomer Dotan-Dreyfus

I'm Tomer Dotan-Dreyfus, a writer, poet and translator. I was born in Haifa in 1987 and have made Berlin my home. I write in German and Hebrew, for books as well as for newspapers, and I translate literature from German into Hebrew.

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My debut novel, Birobidschan (Voland & Quist, 2023), was longlisted for the German Book Prize 2023. My second book, Keinheimisch. Kindheit in Israel, Leben in Deutschland (Propyläen, 2025), is about growing up in Israel and building a life in Germany.

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My connection to the culinary journey in Kreuzberg is my connection to Kreuzberg: to the people, tastes and smells of this colourful, vibrant neighbourhood, which knows no geographical boundaries. I have lived here for many years, and I tour its restaurants, cafés and markets daily. Over time, I learned the stories behind the different foods the district has to offer.

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Although I only cook in my own home, I'm a happy taster outside, always checking out new places, returning to the old ones I liked and following how the neighbourhood develops.

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I studied philosophy and comparative literature in Berlin, Vienna and Paris, but I promise I'm lighter than it sounds.