{"id":105353,"date":"2026-01-20T02:19:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T02:19:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/105353\/"},"modified":"2026-01-20T02:19:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T02:19:13","slug":"great-necks-eastern-eurasian-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/105353\/","title":{"rendered":"Great Neck\u2019s Eastern Eurasian story"},"content":{"rendered":"

In our past columns, we have featured Great Neck\u2019s Persian-Jewish community, both Mashadi and Tehrani, many of whom came here, escaping the 1979 Iranian Revolution.\u00a0We have also spotlighted the various Chinese, Korean and other Asian communities that live here.<\/p>\n

Well, there is a new flock bringing a new vibe. Nu?<\/p>\n

The steady and visible influx of Russians, Ukrainians, Bukharians, Georgians, and others from the former Soviet bloc. Some arrived here directly from abroad. Others came via Queens (Forest Hills\/ Rego Park\/Kew Gardens Hills), Brooklyn, or New Jersey after establishing a foothold in the U.S.<\/p>\n

And while the \u201cRussian\u201d label is most often used to identify them, their reality is far more diverse. These are distinct groups with different languages, histories, and identities and together, like the ones before, they have reshaped Great Neck.<\/p>\n

Mirroring earlier immigrants in creating local footholds, they have further cemented the undeniable\u2013 \u201cO.G. Great Neck\u201d is slowly disappearing, replaced by a tidal wave of \u201ctraditional\u201d and \u201cconservative\u201d devotees. Do you chap?<\/p>\n

Great Neck is in demand<\/p>\n

Great Neck has always been a magnet for those who value education and stability above most else. The Great Neck school district remains one of the strongest draws anywhere on Long Island. For immigrant families, schools are not just a selling point. They mean upward mobility and the general mood of every Tiger Mom.<\/p>\n

Bolstered by entrepreneurship and status-conscious real estate decisions, we seem to have perfected the formula for success.<\/p>\n

Every town experiences friction during cultural turnover. \u00a0It would be dishonest to pretend the changes here have been seamless. (As if!) As evidenced by local Facebook and Nextdoor chat groups, many older residents are absolutely devastated and disoriented.<\/p>\n

Especially, when their favorite local hangout disappears, to be replaced by an \u201cethnic\u201d or religious spot, or when their new neighbors have vastly different traditions than their own. Author\u2019s Note: Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.<\/p>\n

Still, Great Neck forges ahead, as Great Neck does, in three time-tested steps. We absorb, adjust and repeat. (Optional fourth step: Kvetch)\u00a0 And if you zoom out, it makes sense. Great Neck has always been the land for people who want to build. The landscape changes \u2014 the languages, the accents, the restaurants \u2014 but the core desire remains the same, in three steps: a place where you can work hard, live safely, and provide your kids with a better future.<\/p>\n

And so, the most recent \u201cEastern European\u201d influx to the peninsula isn\u2019t one single wave. The story isn\u2019t new. It\u2019s multiple overlapping migrations, a new set of traditions that is quickly becoming part of our collective identity. And guess what? There is a clear overlap among our different communities, a veritable Venn diagram. It\u2019s not just the\u00a0chai\u00a0served from the\u00a0samovar\u00a0or the crispy rice (tahdig) at Toku, either.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Russians are coming, the Russian are coming\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Since Y2K, Eastern European a\/k\/a \u201cRussian\u201d communities, like the Chinese community, have brought a distinct \u00a0rhythm to Great Neck: new restaurants, markets, bakeries, medical offices, salons, tutoring services, and niche professional firms. Some of their businesses market and cater specifically to their own. \u00a0Others seek assimilation as part of the wider community fabric. C\u2019est la vie, y\u2019alla.<\/p>\n

Just like many Persian and Asian circles, \u201cRussian\u201d households generally bring an intensely family-centered culture: multi-generational living, grandparents playing a big role, and a tradition of investing heavily in children\u2019s education. That shows up across the board in Great Neck\u2019s tutoring culture, music lessons, competitive academics, and of course, parents\u2019 high expectations.\u00a0 Again, concentric circles.<\/p>\n

Ukrainians<\/p>\n

In Great Neck, Ukrainians are often perceived as \u201cRussian\u201d, but if you ask, or dig deeper,\u00a0 they may share that they are from Ukraine, and came here as political refugees, due to severe religious persecution. Jewish communities from Kyiv, Odessa, Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Lviv are Russian\u2013speaking but may also speak Ukrainian.\u00a0 While they share a Soviet history, they\u2019re a more nationally dispersed community, with differing family\/community customs, food traditions, music and community organizations.<\/p>\n

Bukharian Jews: A distinct community shaping Great Neck<\/p>\n

One of the most important demographic shifts across Great Neck (and increasingly into Roslyn) over the last 20 years has been the growth of the Bukharian Jewish community.<\/p>\n

Like the Ukrainians, Bukharian Jews are also not \u201cRussian Jews,\u201d even though many families came through the former Soviet Union and may speak Russian. Some speak Bukharian, a Judeo-Persian\/Tajik language. \u00a0Bukharan Jews are one of the oldest Jewish diaspora groups, dating back to the Babylonian exile and comprise a branch of Persian-speaking Jewry. (Yet another connection)<\/p>\n

Bukharian Jewish history stretches back centuries in Central Asia, particularly in places like Bukhara (in present-day Uzbekistan), Tajikistan, and surrounding regions.<\/p>\n

In the New York metro area, many Bukharians built strong community centers in Queens (especially Forest Hills, Rego Park, and Kew Gardens Hills).<\/p>\n

But over time, \u00a0as the search for space and suburban stability intensified, more and more began moving east into Nassau County. Bukharian Jews in New York are known for their recognizable community identity and tight social networks. It follows that Great Neck\u2019s main pillars: top schools, traditional family-centered life\/ infrastructure, and upward mobility, hold great shared appeal for all of our sub-groups.<\/p>\n

Bukharian Jews are frequently misunderstood by outsiders. (Experienced by many ethnic groups) To the unaware, they are perceived as \u201cnew Russians.\u201d Others assume they\u2019re Persian.<\/p>\n

Bukharians are historically associated with the region of Bukhara, in what is now Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and nearby areas that were later absorbed into the Russian Empire and then the Soviet Union.\u00a0So while many Bukharian families later lived under Soviet rule and often speak Russian, their deeper cultural background is less \u201cUkraine and Russia,\u201d and more a mix of Central Asia, where languages, food, and traditions developed along centuries of Eurasian exchange.<\/p>\n

Who knew \u2014Great Neck is a modern-day Silk Road, evoking the vast network of ancient trade routes that connected China to Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s undeniable that today, Great Neck\u2019s demographics are heavily influenced by cultures of the Middle East, Far East, Central Asia, Northern Africa, and environs. Geopolitically, there is great turmoil and instability, there, in our respective ancient homelands. Not coincidentally, our residents are seeking to realize the American Dream here in the Great Neck melting pot, safely and soundly. May we share good news soon?<\/p>\n

Janet Nina Esagoff, a serial entrepreneur, founded Destination: Great Neck Ltd. in 2021 to strengthen and celebrate our town. Follow @greatneckbiz. Janet launched Esagoff Law Group PC in 2017, now located \u201cin town\u201d on Middle Neck\u00a0Road. Prior to her law career, Janet designed special\u2013occasion wear for girls and teens at Party Girl, her Bond Street boutique.<\/p>\n

\"IMGJanet Nina Esagoff. Janet\u00a0Nina Esagoff<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In our past columns, we have featured Great Neck\u2019s Persian-Jewish community, both Mashadi and Tehrani, many of whom…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":105354,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[47847,12628,9,24,63,122,124,123],"class_list":["post-105353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-queens","tag-great-necku2019s-eastern-eurasian-story","tag-janet-nina-esagoff","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-queens","tag-queens-headlines","tag-queens-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105353","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105353"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105353\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/105354"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105353"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105353"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105353"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}