The ingathering of the exiles to their ancestral homeland is the raison d'etre of the State of Israel. Aliyah (literally ascending) is the
Hebrew word for immigration to the Land of Israel.
The meaning of ascent in this context
is spiritual as well as physical;
all Jews are educated in the belief that this ascent is an essential
part of Judaism. It is the ultimate form of identification with one's
people, the Jewish people, whose life and destiny are inextricably tied
to the Land of Israel. Since the beginning of the waves of Aliyah in the
late 19th century, many hundreds of thousands of immigrants have arrived
in the Land. The background, traditions and expertise brought by each
wave have been of immeasurable value in the development of Israel's
pluralistic, democratic society and modern economy.
Following their expulsion and after the fall of Jerusalem to the
Romans in 70 CE, the majority of the Jews were dispersed throughout the
world. The Jewish national idea, however, was never abandoned, nor was
the longing to return to their homeland.
Throughout the centuries, Jews have maintained a presence in the
Land, in greater or lesser numbers; uninterrupted contact with Jews
abroad has enriched the cultural, spiritual and intellectual life of
both communities.
Zionism, the political movement for the return of the
Jewish people to their homeland, founded in the late 19th century,
derives its name from word "Zion", the traditional synonym for Jerusalem
and the Land of Israel. In response to continued oppression and
persecution of Jews in eastern Europe and disillusionment with
emancipation in Western Europe, and inspired by Zionist ideology, Jews
immigrated to Palestine towards the end of the nineteenth century. This
was the first of the modern waves of Aliyah that were to transform the
face of the country.
