This year’s High Holiday season holds a deeper meaning for thousands of Olim (new immigrants to Israel). For the first time, they are not only lighting candles, fasting, or building sukkahs; they are doing so as Israelis, surrounded by an entire nation preparing for the month of Elul and the cycle of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah.
For many, these holidays, experienced for years in diaspora communities, have taken on an entirely new dimension now that they are living in Israel.
Among this wave of new Olim are Allison and Joshua Jacobson, a young couple who made Aliyah this August from Atlanta, Georgia, to Jerusalem. For them, the decision was catalyzed by the October 7th attacks. “Since then, we began to strengthen religiously,” Allison recalls. “We started keeping Shabbat, eating kosher, studying with rabbis, and connecting more deeply with our Jewish community. That process led us here.”
Joshua reflects on how their relationship with Judaism has changed. “I grew up not really religious. Once I started learning more, I found it fascinating; it brought so much value to our lives and relationships.”
Now, as they enter their first high holidays in Israel, the couple is eager to immerse themselves in the religion and culture. “In America, most people don’t even know what holiday you’re celebrating. It’s confined to your home,” Allison says. “Here, the holidays are all around you, everywhere.”
Joshua adds, “In the U.S., it can feel like a burden to take off work for the Jewish holidays, while here people value it. We’re excited to learn from families and communities and create our own traditions.”
The Jacobsons chose to make Aliyah on a Nefesh B’Nefesh Aliyah charter flight, describing it as “a small Independence Day.” Living in Jerusalem now, Joshua says, “Being close to the holy sites makes the spiritual significance so much greater. The air here feels alive in a way America never did.”
For him, Sukkot stands out. “I can’t wait to see all the different sukkahs and walk through the streets; it will be so special to see how many people are celebrating together.”
For Rabbi Josh Broide, who made Aliyah this summer from Boca Raton, Florida, to Modi’in with his wife and children, the holidays represent both continuity and transformation. Having served for years as a rabbi in Florida, he admits the experience now feels entirely different.
“I was in shul when they announced it was Elul, and it struck me how significant this month is, especially now, as an Israeli citizen,” Rabbi Broide says. “Every high holiday is important, but here, during wartime, the prayers carry a different weight. When I stand in shul and pray for the hostages, I know that everyone around me has been personally impacted. In America, we tried to imagine it; here, it’s our shared reality.”
One of the changes he looks forward to most is celebrating the holidays as they were originally intended. “In the diaspora, we had two-day holidays. Here, we celebrate them as one, and that realization is incredibly meaningful.”
The Broide family, used to leading communities, relishes the opportunity to simply join one. “We don’t know what it’s like to just be members,” he says. “We might find new traditions, and we are open to it all. This new year, we are becoming new people.”
For Veronica Zaragovia, an Olah from Miami originally from Colombia who now lives in Tel Aviv, the high holidays are both familiar and uncharted. “Back in Miami, I celebrated with my immediate family. I’ll miss that, but here in Israel it feels like the whole nation is my family.”
She looks especially forward to Yom Kippur. “I love it. I don’t mind the fast. It’s a time to reflect on the past year, and in Israel, walking through the streets will make it even more meaningful.”
Simchat Torah, she says, will be her highlight. “Dancing at the Kotel, that’s an experience you can’t forget.”
For Zaragovia, it was a deliberate choice to make Aliyah and arrive in Israel before the holidays. “The holidays are ancient, but here they are all new to me. No matter if you’re secular or Orthodox, the holidays in Israel are an internal journey of feeling connected to Judaism in your own way. And the fact that everyone around me chose to make Israel their home, it’s beautiful.”
For these Olim, their journey home to Israel was facilitated by Nefesh B’Nefesh, the organization that has assisted over 90,000 immigrants since 2002. The organization, in partnership with Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah & Integration, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, and Jewish National Fund-USA, has transformed Aliyah into not just a process, but a shared national experience.
The Jacobsons, Rabbi Broide, and Veronica Zaragovia all joined flights this summer organized by Nefesh B’Nefesh, arriving just in time for the high holidays. For them, the season of renewal is more than a turn of the Jewish calendar; it is the beginning of their lives as Israelis.
As Allison Jacobson reflects: “We are a part of something bigger. Here, you can learn from everyone, and here is the only place where you are celebrated for being Jewish.”