Yom HaAliyah School Observance

The school observance of Yom HaAliyah takes place on the 7th of Cheshvan, separate from the main Yom HaAliyah on the 10th of Nisan. This date was established so that schools could hold educational programs about aliyah at the beginning of the academic year, when the theme of immigration and national identity can be woven into the curriculum.

The 7th of Cheshvan is traditionally the date when the last pilgrims returning from the Temple in Jerusalem after Sukkot would arrive home. It marks the beginning of the prayer for rain in the Land of Israel, connecting the themes of return, homeland, and the agricultural cycle of the land.