Full Breakdown
ANU Museum Marks Aliyah Day with Global Immigrant Food Fair
By Drooid · · How we work
Event Overview
On Sunday, October 18, the ANU – Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv will host “Oleh, Oleh,” a night-long celebration of Aliyah Day beginning at 5 p.m. The program combines a kosher food market, film screenings, guided tours, round-table discussions and a live musical performance. The market operates from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., offering dishes that trace the culinary journeys of Jewish immigrants—from Central European schnitzel to South American alfajores. Film screenings of archival footage run from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., while guided tours in Hebrew, English, French, Russian and Spanish are offered between 6:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. Immigrants of different generations gather at tables from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. to share personal stories, and singer Uri Zer leads a folk-dance finale from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Admission covers all activities; food is sold separately.
Background and Context
Aliyah Day, established by the Knesset in 2016, commemorates the millions of Jews who have immigrated to Israel since the state’s founding. The ANU museum’s “Oleh, Oleh” initiative, now in its third consecutive year, is organized with the immigration-advocacy group Nefesh B’Nefesh, the Nadav Foundation, local authorities across Israel, and other immigrant-support organizations. —uses food as a metaphor for integration, partnership and the blending of diverse traditions into a shared national identity.
Official Statements and Responses
Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, co-founder and executive director of Nefesh B’Nefesh, highlighted that integration extends beyond arrival, relying on friendships, social connections and opportunities that foster a sense of belonging. The collaboration with the Nadav Foundation and municipal partners underscores broad institutional support for initiatives that promote social cohesion.
Impact and Significance
By centering the universal language of food, the event seeks to create a space where cultural differences are celebrated and common ground is discovered. It offers an accessible, joyous avenue for the public—both new and veteran immigrants and the wider Israeli community—to engage with the lived experiences behind immigration statistics. Organizers argue that such gatherings are crucial as Israel continues to absorb new waves of immigrants, helping weave these new threads into the nation’s cultural tapestry.
Practical Details
The celebration is open to all visitors; guided tours, film screenings, discussions and performances are free of charge. Food stalls operate on a separate purchase basis. Activities are conducted in English, Spanish, Russian and French to ensure broad accessibility.