World Immigration News

Aliyah explained: How Jewish immigration built modern Israel

Release Date: 2025-09-30
Media: UNPACKED
Summary: A bus ride in Jerusalem offers a glimpse into Israel’s rich cultural and historical tapestry, reflecting centuries of Jewish migration from around the world. Jews have lived in the land of Israel for thousands of years, but after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, they were dispersed across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, maintaining a persistent longing to return.

Modern immigration, or Aliyah, began in the late 19th century, with waves of Jews arriving from Eastern Europe and Yemen to escape persecution, pogroms, and economic hardship. The First and Second Aliyah laid the foundations of modern Jewish settlements, while later waves, particularly before and after World War II, brought Holocaust survivors and Jews fleeing antisemitism in Arab countries, Ethiopia, and the former Soviet Union.

Immigration was often difficult, with many facing harsh conditions, discrimination, and cultural barriers. For instance, Yemenite, Mizrahi, and Ethiopian Jews frequently encountered social inequality and systemic prejudice. Despite these challenges, these communities have grown to occupy prominent roles in Israeli society, including in the military, politics, and academia.

Today, the diverse languages, faces, and customs seen on a Jerusalem bus symbolize Israel’s history of exile, longing, and return, and demonstrate the country’s role as a home for Jews from all over the world.
Tags: Israel

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