Location: Jaffa, Israel
“Fishka’s mission is to maintain and expand the young Russian-speaking community based on the values of creativity, cultural influence, social engagement and involvement, - in context of the Jewish heritage and Israeli society.” --Fishka
Rita Brudnik, who came to Israel from Latvia when she was 10, began a grassroots effort to support recent Russian immigrants to Israel . She wanted to help, through very creative means: music, theatre, and poetry to integrate young Russian speakers into Israeli life and culture. As mentioned by Dr. Ronen Zeidel, in the 1990s many Russian Jews, under duress, left the Soviet Union. For some, Israel is a place on the way to somewhere else. Based on her own experience as a Russian immigrant, Brudnik, an especially energetic and innovative person, recognized a need in her community for an organization like Fishka where young people would be socially active and engaged. One look at the events section of Fishka’s colorful and informative website gives insight into the diverse experiences this center has to offer. There, you might find lectures, meetings, concerts, festivals, poetry workshops, art exhibitions, educational seminars, street parties, musicals, movies, circus, tango lessons, and theater master-classes.
The following is an interview with Rita, describing why she established Fishka and what the organization and cultural activities provide for a community of young Russian immigrants trying to establish their identity as Russian Jews in Israel.