Moscow on the Mediterranean

This cultural profile of Israel’s largest immigrant community reveals how Russians have imported the spirit of Moscow to the shores of the Mediterranean. A decade of massive immigration from the former Soviet Union has resulted in a country where every fifth citizen in Israel speaks Russian. Roughly one million people live within a cultural “ghetto.” They read 70 Russian-language newspapers published in Israel, watch Russian programs on local and cable television, enjoy their own theatre and music, and send their children to a Russian-language supplementary school. Most Russian Israelis no longer consider themselves immigrants. They have become an influential force in shaping Israeli’s national identity, while fighting for equality, representation and control over their own lives. Director Yeud Levanon closely follows the formation of the Russian political parties for a year, documenting their dramatic effect on the outcome of the national elections that brought Ehud Barak to power.