Yom HaAliyah celebrates the 10th of Nisan as a national holiday. It is on this date in the year 2488 that the first mass Aliyah in history took place, when the Children of Israel crossed the Jordan River into Eretz Yisrael.
Led by Yehoshua, Am Yisrael carried the Holy Ark on dry land across the river as the waters split. It was at Gilgal that the tribes erected a monument of twelve stones to commemorate this historic and miraculous event. Since that original beautiful act of Zionism, the Jewish People have been striving to come Home and build up this Land.
The modern holiday honors Aliyah as a core value of the State of Israel and the contributions Olim make to our society. The Ministry of Education will also celebrate Yom HaAliyah and the meaning of the 10th of Nisan in schools on the 7th of Cheshvan, around Parshat Lech Lecha.
From the founding of the modern State of Israel, our country has relied on Aliyah and the immense value that Olim bring to our Nation. We celebrate the Oleh, and the value of Aliyah on this date, reaffirming its importance for the present and future of our People.