As often passing by New York streets, you see in a show-window of a shop or in a lobby of a big office building, a New Year tree, sparkling lights and an electric Chanukiyah, frequently big sized, right next of it. At first the set of lights show bewitches eyes. But having thought a little sparkling an idea: something not right here, something superfluous …

Especially, if you see such a picture in the house where the Jewish family lives. It may get you to think, that a superfluous is a New Year tree. But it is impossible to grab it out from that family! For them it is "a tribute of tradition", spark of the childhood (especially it is releted to refuges from former Soviet Union). Id does not have any sense for them, except for celebrating of the one calendar year comming to its end of and the beginning of the new one.

Hey, a green beauty! How... the heck, you appeared in our lives?

It seems to us, that the New Year tree was always, and always she(it) was such or nearly so such as now. Actually the today's kind a a New Year tree transformed recently.

Pagans from ancient times worshipped trees, prayed and made sacrifices in sacred groves. Ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Rommans and Chinese loved evergreen trees and wreaths from their branches, German and Celt tribes slavs - a birch preferred an oak. A heavy sin at pagans was considered to damage(injure) a tree in a sacred grove - in some German tribes for peeling off a bark from such trees punished by peeling off the skin. One of the main holidays connected to a cult of trees, day December, 22 - day of a winter solstice - was as a token of worship the sun.

As it is known, the early Christians, frequently adopted rituals of pagans, altering and adapting them, giving to them other sense to catch more followers. With distribution of Christianity sacred groves and trees were cut down, but on a place of ancient cults there was a worship a May and Christmas tree.

About where also who entered a Christmas a New Year tree, there are some versions. One of them gives this honour personally to Martin Luther (the founder of Lutheraian Christian Church). The legend says, that it(he) went once along the street in star winter night and was struck with a show of a bright star, as if lowered(omitted) on a top of the a New Year tree brought by snow.

In a modern kind the Christmas tree has appeared in Germany in Middle Ages. A a New Year tree put in houses December, 24, decorated with apples, hung up on it(her) wafers. By the way, candles on a a New Year tree began to light only since 1708. First she(it) was entertainment for rich, but then, as usual, was distributed everywhere, and has soon stepped over borders of Germany. Ornaments too varied. When Christian missionaries have acquainted with a holiday of Christmas of Japanese and Chinese, those have learned Europeans to do(make) special paper toys. Toys from papier-mache then have appeared. But tone was set all the same by Germans are they have invented the transparent glass spheres luminous in darkness thanking phosphoring paints.

That is how a scared tree of pagans became unseparatable a part of the Christmas and the Christian New Year.

Year of 1699 had been celebrated in Russia twice. First September, 1 Peter I based on custom of fathers and grandfathers had noted approach of year 5460 from creation of the world (note: it is coincides with Jewish). But it it seemed too little to him. December, 20 he had issued a decree about celebrating a New Year on January 1, 1700 from birth of Jesus.

But, probably, Russia such country, which is a world behind mirror - everything up-side-down. In 1916, during the First world(global), the Synod of Russian orthodox church has forbidden the Christmas a New Year tree as an enemy German invention.

Having come to authority, bolsheviks privately had prolonged a church interdiction. But neither church accusations, nor proletarian struggle against prejudices could not eradicate an inclination to greens. Feeling the defeat before the a New Year tree which has survived all, Stalin has prefered her(it) to resolve. December, 28, 1935 in "Pravda" article of P.P.Postysheva (Communist Party official) has appeared "Let's organize by New Year to children a good a New Year tree! " Peter I, notice, Stalin - only 3 has given the citizen on preparation of 11 days. Recommendations of "Truth" were executed immediately. A a New Year tree the Kremlin tower, and the star on a top - five-pointed, with a sickle and ground now began to remind. She(it) has penetrated everywhere - into houses, cinemas, clubs …

As is known, in the beginning of 20-th century Central and the East Europe the mass withdrawal(waste) of Jews began from the religion and traditions. For the Jews who have got under a wheel of the Soviet authority, this process had become simply huge scales.

In the beginning it occured under influence of changes of a way of life in Europe and getting wider and powerfull Haskalah (Enlighntment) movement which had transformed studying of Torah from a source of principles of life and traditions in the academic reasonings about "philosophical ideas of the Great Doctrine", and calling to "to leave from a communal ghetto in the Big World". Hardly later to this the hobby for ideas of socialism was added.

Not a secret, that the half first the bolsheviks' government had been Jews. All of them so hesitated of the Jewish origin that have hidden behind pseudonyms. But it at all did not prevent them to engage in rebuiling of this "the Big World". They created so-called Jewish section (Yev-section), the organization consisting of the young Jews - communists revealing Jews secretly studying of Torah and observing the Jewish law secretly studying. Many of them still more studied in yeshivas just about ten years before and perfectly coped with their task, knowing substantive provisions of the law of their nation. "Religious obscurantists" held up to shame, fired, after steel to put in prisons and mental houses, etc.

Torn off from the tradition, suppressed by an impact of anti-Semitism on the part of the state bodies and the population, general contempt for all Jewish, the majority of the Soviet Jews have ceased to observe the Jewish law to stand aside traditions and to hesitate of themselves.

It is a story, that prominent revolutioner, the first commander-in-chief of Red Army Lion Trotsky (the real name Lev Bronstein), had been aproached in 1920 by Moscow's chief rabbi, Rabbi Yakov Mazeh, to use the army to protect Jews from the pogroms which had begun everywhere. Trotsky reputedly responded to the request: " What you're talking about! Look around - the World Revolution is comming! It will be no borders in near future and the entire World will speak one language! And for you, Rabbi, it is a time already to store yourself over in a museum! Why do you come to me? I am not a Jew! I am an internationalist!" Rabbi Mazeh answered: "That's the tragedy. It's the Trotskys who make revolutions, and its the Bronsteins who pay the price."

Struggle of the bolsheviks government against religion was conducted absolutely and without compronise. The purpose of communistic governors was to break any traditions connected to religion. So the a New Year tree has received the new name. Now she(it) became "New Year's", hiding its(her) religious origin.

In a situation when there was a hidden quota on reception of Jews in institutes, for work and you the first on turn on dismissal, Jews began to hesitate of themselves. What already there to speak about education of children on the Jewish system of values and tradition. G-d forbid if children will speak Yiddish! Should be as everything, even it is better than everything that did not show a finger. So has grown two generations " Jews under the passport ", torn off from roots of people.

The A New Year tree has not casually revived so quickly - too deeply she(it) was implanted in a life. She(it) appeared hardy in a severe Soviet climate. In a counterbalance to May 1 (Labor Day) and the Day of the October Revolution, New Year became the unique Soviet holiday which has been not connected to a policy(politics), subject to the least pressure of propagation.

New Year began the most cheerful and loved(liked,favourite) from the Soviet holidays, the most popular among all population - including Jews. Spiritual emptiness from thrown out "to trash of history" centuries-old traditions long could not remain not filled. New Year and a a New Year tree have quickly taken the place. New Year's gifts have replaced to children Chanukah Gelt.

In Judaism, each holiday has deep inner meaning and educational value. We celebrate the Jewish holidays first of all to understand, how real events of our past, can help us with today's real life and be a source of our spiritual growth. Also it is not necessary be thus too serious - not overlooking(forgetting) about entertainments of the Jewish holidays, such as a masquerade on Purim (first of all for adults an than for children), lighting a Menorah on Chanukah and the Dreydel game or search for Afikoman on Pesach...

"New Year tree" of pagans and - or Christians does not bear(carry) any sense or a source of inspiration for the assimilated Jew.

Prophet Jeremiah (Yermiyahu) warns: "Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the sky, though the nations are terrified by them. For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter... And they can do no good." (Jeremiah 10:2-5)

But the Iron Curtain has fallen also the Soviet Jews have parted literally worldwide. In a free world where there is no totalitarian "press" and " 5-th column " in the passport, people are united in groups by a national - religious principle. Even in today's Russia nihilists and the convinced atheists there were up to the end only assimilated Jews. Even the government members are going to Chrurch, and it is shown on TV. Not to mention already the American president speaking about G-d on memorial ceremony for September, 11 2001 victims.

Here also there is a question of " the Russian Jew " - I Russian or the Jew. But if for generation of natives and Soviet Union still there is the certain system of the values which have been not connected with any religion where to find a reference point for their children? Style of life of parents and in part their system of values begin some kind of religion for their children. And the New Year tree will be unseparatable a part of this "religion".

So let's recollect, that there was at our great-grandfathers a precise system of reference points in the life, kept today at religious Jews. Let's dig out this compass which we tried to throw out on " a dump of a history " and we shall present his(its) our children.