Aliyah

Aliyah (Hebrew: ?????; "ascent") is a term widely used to mean Jewish immigration to the Land of Israel (and since its establishment in 1948, the State of Israel). The opposite action, Jewish emigration away from Israel, is called Yerida (descent).

Related Topics:
Hebrew - Jew - Land of Israel - 1948 - State of Israel - Jewish - Emigration - Yerida

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Aliyah is an important Jewish cultural concept and a fundamental concept of Zionism that is enshrined in Israel's Law of Return, which permits any Jew the legal right to assisted immigration and settlement in Israel, as well as automatic Israeli citizenship. A Jew who makes aliyah is called an oleh (m. singluar) or olah (f. singular), the plural is olim.

Related Topics:
Zionism - Law of Return - Jew - Legal right

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As a concept of Jewish "return" to the Promised land (as interpreted from the Bible to have been promised by God to the descendants of the Hebrew patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), aliyah is greatly espoused by most, though not by all, Jews.

Related Topics:
Promised land - Bible - God - Abraham - Isaac - Jacob

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In Zionist history, different waves of aliyah, beginning with the arrival of the Biluim from Russia in 1882, are known as aliyot (the plural of aliyah). These aliyot are often categorized by date and the country of origin of the immigrants.

Related Topics:
Zionist - Bilu - Russia - 1882

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Aliyah also refers, in synagogue life, to the honor of being "called up" to read a section of the Torah during a service. For example, the relevant section of the Torah reading for each shabbat is divided into seven aliyot.

Related Topics:
Synagogue - Read a section of the Torah - Shabbat

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