If you walk past what looks like a Christmas tree on the eve of December 31 here in Israel, chances are that it’s not a forlorn yuletide decoration. Instead, it’s more likely to be a yolka, the fir (or plastic) tree that’s an inherent part of celebrating Novy God, the Russian phrase for “New Year.” “The first thing I remember from Israel is my first day at an Israeli kindergarten,” recalls Alex Rif, the activist who launched the campaign. Rif immigrated to Israel from Ukraine