This year, Aliyah Day (Yom HaAliyah) is not just another symbolic date on the calendar. It falls during a period in which Jewish identity is being reshaped – not only in Israel but in every Jewish community around the world. Two years after October 7, while the State of Israel is still grappling with civil, security, and emotional rehabilitation, Diaspora Jewry is facing its own profound upheaval: an unprecedented rise in antisemitic incidents, a growing sense of alienation, and an overt fear of showing identification with the State of Israel.
This reality sharpens one clear truth: The State of Israel is not only the home of its citizens – it is the home of every Jew in the world.
Jewish communities supporting Israel
At the height of the crisis, when Israel was fighting for its very existence, we witnessed our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora mobilizing in an unprecedented way: providing critical financial support, volunteering, and standing with Israel both physically and emotionally.
However, at the same time, many of them felt an increasing lack of security in the countries in which they live. Jewish children were attacked in schools, businesses were defaced with hate slogans, and the Israeli flag, once a symbol of pride, became something many felt safer hiding.
Since the beginning of the war, United Israel Appeal (Keren Hayesod) has raised more than NIS 1.5 billion, with the support of 60 Jewish communities across 45 countries worldwide. These funds were allocated to support terror victims, provide equipment to hospitals, assist northern and southern municipalities in rebuilding communities, and strengthen social resilience in Israel.
In the midst of internal tensions, fears, and a global wave of antisemitism, United Israel Appeal continues to stand as a beacon that unites Israel and the Diaspora – living proof of Jewish mutual responsibility and the power of one nation’s shared bond.
Assisting in aliyah
Beyond emergency relief, the organization also plays a vital and ongoing role in aliyah and absorption. Together with our strategic partners, we help thousands of new immigrants each year find their place in Israeli society, from the moment they land at Ben-Gurion Airport to their first job, first apartment, and first circle of community belonging.
Through investments in absorption centers, Hebrew-language ulpanim, youth villages, and vocational training programs, we ensure that every oleh, whether from Ukraine, France, Latin America, or Ethiopia, has the support, dignity, and opportunity to begin a new life in Israel. Donors around the world make this possible, turning aliyah from a dream into a successful reality.
The past year has once again revealed the depth of unity. In the most difficult moments, there was no difference between Israelis and Jews in the Diaspora. We were all part of the same family, sharing the same pain and the same hope. People from different backgrounds discovered themselves working toward one goal: to save, to support, and to rebuild.
At United Israel Appeal, we see this shift unfolding before our eyes. Conversations that for years focused on supporting Israel financially are turning into heartfelt discussions about making aliyah, about children’s futures, about belonging, and about the possibility of building new lives here. This is a movement driven by responsibility and by a renewed connection to roots, a realization that Israel is not a “distant place” but the true home.
This year’s Aliyah Day is not just an opportunity to honor those who have already immigrated but a shared call toward the future. The State of Israel must see itself as a destination for every Jew who seeks security, meaning, and belonging. The state must initiate national programs that ensure a seamless absorption experience, suitable employment, community integration, and a supportive educational framework. We must ensure that new immigrants do not feel like guests but like family members from the very first moment.
Now, more than ever, we must lay the foundations for the new generation of immigrants: to build advanced absorption infrastructure, integrate the business and social sectors, and transform aliyah from a Zionist dream into a national opportunity for strengthening, renewal, and growth.
This year’s Aliyah Day is an invitation to shape the future. If we act with wisdom, sensitivity, and vision, we can transform the crisis facing world Jewry into a historic opportunity to strengthen the unity and resilience of the entire Jewish people.
The writer is CEO and director-general of United Israel Appeal (Keren Hayesod).