“We are creating an integration of the variety of cultures, flavors and identities that this wonderful country has to offer.”
Beri Rosenberg & Alex Rif – “Novy God’ (meaning ‘new year’ in Russian) is the Russian celebration of the New Year. It was the only non-Communist holiday celebrated in the Soviet Union, therefore giving room for the individual and the family to celebrate creatively. For the citizens of the Soviet Union in general, and for Jews in particular, this was a rare phenomenon back then.
However, as we immigrated to Israel, celebrating ‘Novy God’ was perceived in a stigmatic way by Israeli society, and was mistakenly associated as a religious Christian way of celebrating New Year’s Eve.
This spectacular and profound cultural experience featuring poetry, literature, theater and more is unfortunately absent from the public discourse in Israel. As young Russian immigrants, who are successfully integrated into Israeli society, we decided to create a unique Israeli ‘Novy God’.
Israeli ‘Novy God’ is a new nationwide project, which was and will be celebrated on New Year’s Eve. “Olim” from the FSU will host their traditional dinner celebration in their homes, inviting other Hebrew speaking friends and acquaintances that haven’t discovered yet this wonderful cultural holiday.
While doing so we want to create a new Israeli tradition – a mix of the FSU tradition with the current Israeli culture, an integration of the variety of cultures, flavors and identities that this wonderful country has to offer.”
