Dual Diaspora: Post-Soviet Culture in Search of Israeli Identity [Paperback]

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union nearly one million Russian-speaking Jews have settled in Israel, reshaping its cultural, social, and political fabric. This influx has sparked a complex dialogue about the intersection of post-Soviet and Jewish identities in the Israeli context.

Dual Diasporaoffers a groundbreaking exploration of the cultural contributions of Russian-speaking immigrants to Israel over the past thirty years. Through the lenses of literature, cinema, and visual art, Alex Moshkin investigates how immigrants reconcile their Soviet past with their Israeli present, and what role the Russian language  central to the identity of Soviet Jews in the second half of the twentieth century  plays today. Highlighting works in both Russian and Hebrew, Moshkin describes how authors, artists, and filmmakers navigate their dual identities and engage with Jewish history, religious life, and cosmopolitan ideals while confronting the traumas of displacement and immigration.

Expanding the study of contemporary Israeli life beyond its Hebrew-centric narratives,Dual Diasporasheds light on a vibrant and overlooked cultural scene. It not only deepens our understanding of Russian-speaking Jews in Israel but also enriches a broader conversation about hybrid identities in an increasingly globalized world.

CAAlex Moshkin teaches English and world literature at the International School Michel Lucius.A groundbreaking exploration of the cultural contributions of Russian-speaking immigrants to Israel over the past thirty years,Dual Diasporainvestigates how writers, filmmakers, and visual artists reconcile their Soviet past with their Israeli present.

Series Editor: Csaba Nikolenyi

Editorial Advisory Board: Yael Aronoff, Maya Balakirsky Katz, Yael Halevi-Wise, Daniel Heller, Menachem Hoffnung, P.R. Kumarswamy, Ira Robinson, David Tal, and Noam Zadoff

Books in the McGill-Queens Azrieli Institute of Israel Studies Series rl#4