Photograph by Elizabeth Skadden

Donna Swarthout moved to Berlin with her family to explore her German Jewish heritage and identity and the nature of Jewish life in Germany today. Swarthout received her German citizenship certificate on October 31, 2011. You can learn more about her experiences on her blog Full Circle. And if you missed the Der Spiegel article about German Jews who reclaim their citizenship, read it here in English.

A version of Swarthout’s story first appeared on The Jewish Writing Project Blog.