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On Yom HaAliyah, new immigrants to Israel take time to dance in Jerusalem

Some 20,000 “olim” have arrived from around the world this year, despite travel limitations imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.

New immigrants to Israel dance the hora in Jerusalem. Credit: Zug Productions for the Jewish Agency.
New immigrants to Israel dance the hora in Jerusalem. Credit: Zug Productions for the Jewish Agency.

In honor of Yom HaAliyah (“Aliyah Day”), celebrated this year on Oct. 12-13, new immigrants (olim) gathered at the Jewish Agency’s courtyard in Jerusalem on Tuesday for a celebratory dance party.

The festive event featured DJ PNINA and combined historic dances, like the traditional hora, with contemporary dances of today. In the moments after the State of Israel was established on May 14, 1948, citizens across the country took to the streets and danced together in celebration.

The olim who participated in the event immigrated to Israel from dozens of countries and are now part of several integration programs run in cooperation with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration.

Since the establishment of modern-day Israel, more than 3.3 million Jews have made aliyah. Since the start of 2021, some 20,000 olim have arrived in Israel, despite travel limitations imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.

The event was attended by Yaakov Hagoel, acting chairman of the executive of the Jewish Agency and chairman of the World Zionist Organization, and Jewish Agency director-general and CEO Amira Ahronoviz.

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