Definition

1. Noun:
   • (Judaism) Immigration of Jews to Israel: The act or process of Jews immigrating to the State of Israel, often motivated by religious, cultural, or nationalistic reasons.
   • (Judaism) The honor of being called up to the reading desk in the synagogue to read from the Torah: A ritual honor during a synagogue service where a person is invited to recite blessings before and after a portion of the Torah is read aloud.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Immigration):

  • Her lifelong dream was to make aliyah and live in Jerusalem.
  • The agency assists families with the practicalities of aliyah.

• Noun (Synagogue Honor):

  • He received an aliyah on the morning of his son's bar mitzvah.
  • Being called for an aliyah is a significant honor in the Jewish community.

Advanced Usage

• "to make aliyah": This is the standard phrasal expression for the act of immigrating to Israel as a Jew under the Law of Return.
  • After years of planning, they finally made aliyah last summer.

Variants and Related Words

• Oleh (male) / Olah (female) (n): An immigrant to Israel; a person who makes aliyah. Plural: Olim.
  • The new olim received a warm welcome at the airport.
• Aliyot (n): The plural form of "aliyah" when referring to the synagogue honors.
  • Multiple aliyot are distributed during the Sabbath Torah reading.

Synonyms

• Immigration (to Israel): Specifically for the first definition.
• Ascension: A literal translation of the Hebrew word, reflecting the spiritual significance of moving to Israel or going up to the Torah.
• Call-up: An informal term for the synagogue honor.

Notes on Meaning

The word originates from Hebrew, meaning "ascent" or "going up." This dual meaning reflects two core Jewish concepts: the physical and spiritual "ascent" of moving to the land of Israel, and the physical "ascent" to the platform (the bimah) to participate in the Torah reading. The context usually makes it clear which meaning is intended.

Noun

1. (Judaism) immigration of Jews to Israel
   • students making aliyah
2. (Judaism) the honor of being called up to the reading desk in the synagogue to read from the Torah
   • he was called on for an aliyah