Aliyah is a Hebrew word that means to “go up.” While originally it referred to ascending to Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish Feasts, today it has come to mean the return of the Jews to the Land of Israel.

There are numerous Bible passages that indicate God’s plan to bring the children of Israel home. A passage from the prophet Isaiah is given as an example: “Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth.”(Isaiah 43:5-6)

After the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, the Jewish people were dispersed in all parts of the world (diaspora), where they found themselves subjected to discrimination and persecution for many centuries, culminating in systematic murder in the Holocaust. Since the end of the 19th century, Jews have been returning to Eretz Israel in several waves through immigration, especially after the foundation of the state of Israel in 1948, and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

By the end of 2020, the ICEJ has assisted more than 160,000 Jews to make Aliyah to Israel. We support Jewish people in their preparation, flights, transportation and integration in Israel.