The Tel Aviv-based ANU-Museum of the Jewish People will host its second annual Aliyah Day celebration on Wednesday, bringing together hundreds of new and veteran immigrants for an evening of cultural programming and community building.
The event, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the museum's Tel Aviv University campus location, is a joint initiative of ANU, Nefesh B'Nefesh, the Nadav Foundation, Tel Aviv Municipality, and the Ezra youth movement.
Following last year's inaugural event, which drew more than 300 participants, organizers are expanding the "Oleh Oleh" project to continue providing support and recognition for those who have chosen to make Israel their home.
The evening will feature guided tours of the museum's galleries in four languages (English, Spanish, French, and Russian) but notably not in Hebrew, showing the focus of this evening is on the immigrant community. A marketplace in the museum lobby will showcase businesses owned by both new and veteran immigrants, displaying products ranging from food to local art.
The programme will also include screenings of archival footage documenting waves of aliyah throughout Israel's history, drawn from the museum's Oster Visual Documentation Center collection. Round table discussions organized by language will allow veteran immigrants to share experiences and insights with newer arrivals.
The event will conclude with a musical performance featuring classic Israeli songs spanning from the 1940s to the present.
"In these times, as we face significant national challenges, it is more important than ever for us to celebrate the diversity and richness of the immigrant community in Israel," said Oded Revivi, CEO of ANU-Museum of the Jewish People. "The choice to leave your place of residence, the center of your life, and establish your home in Israel, especially in these times, is not self-evident and deserves great appreciation."
Revivi emphasized that the initiative aligns with the museum's core mission to preserve and strengthen Jewish unity and belonging worldwide.
'A moment of inspiration'
Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, co-founder and executive director of Nefesh B'Nefesh, called Aliyah Day "a moment of inspiration and connection and an opportunity to honor the immigrants who continue to build Israeli society."
"We are proud to collaborate with the ANU Museum in creating an event that highlights the remarkable stories of immigrants, who together weave the fabric of Israeli society, and emphasizes their tremendous contribution to the State of Israel," Fass said.
Tickets for the event are priced at NIS 36. The museum is located at 15 Klausner Street on the Tel Aviv University campus, with pedestrian access through Gate 2.
More information is available at www.anumuseum.org.il/events/olim-event/