The ushering in of a new year, let alone a new decade, brings with it a flurry of traditional reports: The first baby born on the new year, Australia ushering the new decade ahead of everyone, etc. And in Israel, like every year, the debate over Novy God – the designation of the Russian New Year's Eve and New Year's Day – is once again raging.
But why is it that the same flipping of the page on the Gregorian calendar has earned a political and religious context?
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Novy God is not a religious holiday rather a public one, marked by Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Over the years, various interested parties have turned it into a symbol of secularism and support for the separation of religion and state.
But it is important to state the facts: The USSR practiced atheistic coercion and its Jews were not allowed to celebrate religious holidays in public. The only days when it was possible to gather together and celebrate freely were public holidays, such as Novy God and Women's Day.
Soviet Jews would take advantage of the fact that this was a public holiday and gather in one of their homes, enjoy Jewish food, and celebrate life in general. The most notable value on this day was the family.
When those Jews immigrated to Israel, many of them continued to mark Novy God in secret, for fear they would be labeled as foreigners. Fast forward a few decades, and Novy God has become a source of pride for immigrants. The Christian name by which New Year's Eve is known in Israel, "Sylvester" – strangely enough for Pope Sylvester, who was widely considered to be anti-Semitic – faded over time while the name Novy God rose in prominence. However, at the same time, the festivities became a symbol of controversy over political issues related to religion and state rather than a day in which native Jewish Israelis embrace the immigrants' cultural celebration.
In recent years, I've decided that enough is enough: It's time to talk about Novy God in its true context and even more so – to "out" the fact that religious Russians in Israel mark it. Yes – religious Israelis mark Novy God.
The idea is to sway the discourse back to a sane level, not advocate it as yet another platform for promoting a political doctrine that supports the separation of religion and state or some party or another.
The conversation should promote an openness to the rich culture the immigrants brought with them and to highlight the true reality – that most "Russian" immigrants have long become Israelis; and to show that the celebrations, which too many Israelis assume revolved around alcohol, are mainly devoted to family.
Like any other change, this, too, is a process. This past New Year's Eve was the third in which I have dealt with this issue, and it was also the first in during which I was asked about whether I was concerned that my children would "get confused," i.e. whether the fact that I deal with this issue, my future children may be celebrating Novy God instead of keeping Shabbat and lighting Hanukkah candles. The answer is – of course not.
But I also found it to be a wonderful question, as it finally exposed the fear of the "Russians, Novy God, and "Christian customs." Even more so, it shows that in 2020, Israel is no longer afraid to deal with the simple question of "what does Novy God mean to you?"
It shows that the openness and tolerance for the culture of former Soviet immigrants are increasing and that means we are on our way to a better society.
