Celebrate Israel Parade

Last updated
Israeli flags flown at the parade Israel Day Parade 2007 Flags.jpg
Israeli flags flown at the parade

Israel Day on Fifth (formerly the Salute to Israel Parade and then the Celebrate Israel Parade) is an annual parade in support of Israel that takes place along Fifth Avenue in New York. The parade travels north on Fifth Avenue from 57th Street to 74th Street. [1]

Contents

According to the organizers of the parade, it is the largest gathering in the world in support of Israel. It has been held annually in New York City since 1964.

Contingents of marchers come from the New York metropolitan area as well as from other parts of the country Jewish day schools, Synagogues, Youth Groups, Hillels and other organizations including the Chai Riders Motorcycle Club. Marchers also include prominent local politicians.

History

In 1964 Haim Zohar, Charles Bick, Ted Comet, Alvin Schiff, and Dan Ronen worked together in order to plan a demonstration of American Jewish solidarity with Israel. They coordinated with the Manhattan Day School to march from their school to a theater on Broadway. This March was known as the Youth Salute to Israel Parade. [2]

In 1965 David Ben Gurion visited New York. Thousands of people stood on 5th Avenue watching Ben Gurion, in an impromptu event. This later created parade route followed in future years. [3]

In 2011, the parade was renamed the Celebrate Israel Parade in a launch event at the Edison Ballroom in Midtown Manhattan. [1]

2020 saw the parade go virtual.

United Kingdom parade

In July 2007 the United Kingdom-based Jewish Leadership Council, together with other UK Jewish groups announced that a UK Salute to Israel parade would be held in Central London and Manchester on June 29, 2008 as part of the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel. [4] These events attracted over 45,000 people to simultaneous street parades followed by open air rallies in Trafalgar Square London and Heaton Park Manchester.

Parade history

Parade
Number
Israel's
Anniversary
YearDateThemeMarchersNotes
0161964Original Youth Salute to Israel Parade by Manhattan Day School
1171965Impromptu parade on 5th Avenue in honor of David Ben Gurion's visit
2181966
3191967Shortly before the Six-Day War, drew a quarter-million people [5]
4201968
5211969
6221970
7231971
8241972
9251973
10261974
11271975
12281976
13291977
14301978
15311979
16321980
17331981
18341982
19351983
20361984
21371985
22381986
23391987
24401988
25411989
26421990
27431991
28441992
29451993
30461994
31471995May 21 [6]
32481996
33491997
34501998
35511999
36522000
37532001May 20Amid the Second Intifada. [7]
38542002100,000 [8] 750,000 spectators [8]
39552003
40562004
41572005
42582006
43592007
44602008First UK Salute to Israel parade [4]
45612009
46622010
47632011June 5 [9] Celebrate Israel Parade was renamed from Salute to Israel Parade
48642012June 3Israel Branches Out… [10] 35,000 [11] First contingent of LGBT marchers. [12] [11]
49652013June 2Picture Israel; The Art & the Craft [10] 35,000 [13]
50662014June 1 [14] 50 Reasons to Celebrate Israel [10] 35,000 [15]
51672015June 10 [16] Israel Imagines [10] 40,000 [17] Knesset members Avraham Naguise, Yoav Ben-Tzur, Revital Swid, Ksenia Svetlova and Ofir Akunis led the parade with New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. [18]
52682016June 5Sight, Sound & Spirit [10] 30,000 [19] Andrew Cuomo announced the signing off Executive Order 157, barring the BDS Movement [20]
53692017June 4Celebrate Israel Together [21] 40,000 [22] Opera star David Serero performed the U.S and Israel anthems for the opening of the parade. [23] [24] Andrew Cuomo prior to the parade officially declared it Shimon Peres Day. [25]
54702018June 370 and Sababa! (70 & Awesome!) [26] 50,000 [27]
55712019June 2Only in Israel – Rak B’Yisrael [28] 40,000 [29] Theodore Comet, who created the parade, marched in the 2019 parade, marking the 55th anniversary of the parade. Comet was 95 at the time. [30]
56742022May 22Together Again – Kulanu B’Yachad40,000
57752023June 4Israel 7540,000+
58762024June 2One People, One Heart50,000+ Eden Golan was among the high-profile participants.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York's Village Halloween Parade</span> Parade held every Halloween in New York

The Village Halloween Parade is an annual holiday parade held on the night of Halloween, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. The parade, initiated on October 31, 1974 by Greenwich Village puppeteer and mask maker Ralph Lee, is the world's largest Halloween parade and the only major nighttime parade in the United States. The parade reports itself to have 50,000 "costumed participants" and 2 million spectators. The parade has its roots in New York's queer community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dyke march</span> Lesbian-led gathering and protest march

A dyke march is a lesbian visibility and protest march, much like the original Gay Pride parades and gay rights demonstrations. The main purpose of a dyke march is the encouragement of activism within the lesbian and sapphic community. Dyke marches commonly take place the Friday or Saturday before LGBT pride parades. Larger metropolitan areas usually have several Pride-related happenings both before and after the march to further community building; with social outreach to specific segments such as older women, women of color, and lesbian parenting groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salanter Akiba Riverdale Academy</span> School in Riverdale, Bronx, New York, United States

Salanter Akiba Riverdale Academy, better known by the acronym, SAR Academy, is a coeducational, private Modern Orthodox Jewish day school. The school is located in the Riverdale section of the New York City borough of the Bronx.

<i>The Jerusalem Report</i> Israeli news magazine

The Jerusalem Report is a fortnightly print and online news magazine that covers political, military, economic, religious and cultural issues in Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hazon</span> American nonprofit organization

Hazon is an American nonprofit organization based in New York City that seeks to "create new vision" in the Jewish community through outdoor and environmental education. It was founded in 2000 by its British-born CEO Nigel Savage. The organization claims to be America's "largest faith-based environmental organization". Hazon's advisory board of directors is chaired by Ruth Messinger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerusalem Open House</span> LGBTQ advocacy organization

The Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance is a nonprofit organization, founded in 1997 that runs an LGBTQ community center offering educational and social events and a health center that provides physical and mental care. Since 2002, JOH has also organized an annual Jerusalem Pride march.

Israeli Americans are Americans who are of full or partial Israeli descent. In this category are those who are Israelis through nationality and/or citizenship. Reflecting Israel's demographics, while the vast majority of the Israeli American populace is Jewish, it is also made up of various ethnic and religious minorities; most notably the ethnic Arab minority, which includes Christians, Druzes, and Muslims, as well as the smaller non-Arab minority ethnic groups.

David Yaari is an American - Israeli entrepreneur, philanthropist, community organizer and activist. He is the Founding Director General of the Arizona-Israel Trade and Investment Office. He is also the chairman of the World Confederation of United Zionists and sits on the board of Keren Kayemet LeYisrael (KKL) - Jewish National Fund (JNF). He currently serves on the Board of Directors of StellarNova, an education technology company focused on STEM and on numerous philanthropic boards. In 2008, The Jewish Daily Forward included him in the "Forward 50", a list of the year's 50 most influential Jewish Americans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UJA-Federation of New York</span> Philanthropic organization

UJA-Federation of New York is the largest local philanthropy in the world. Headquartered in New York City, the organization raises and allocates funds annually to fulfill a mission to “care for Jews everywhere and New Yorkers of all backgrounds, respond to crises close to home and far away, and shape our Jewish future.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shmuly Yanklowitz</span> American rabbi, activist, and author

Shmuly Yanklowitz is an open Orthodox rabbi. In March 2012 and March 2013, Newsweek listed Yanklowitz as one of the 50 most influential rabbis in America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Klein</span> American rabbi (born 1975)

Rabbi Jason Klein is the Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Ruderman</span> American lawyer and philanthropist

Jay Seth Ruderman is an American lawyer, disability rights activist and philanthropist. He is the president of the Ruderman Family Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerusalem gay pride parade</span> Annual LGBT event in Jerusalem

The Jerusalem gay pride parade is an annual pride parade taking place in Jerusalem. Since the first March for Pride and Tolerance in 2002, Jerusalem Pride—"Love Without Border"—has become an established event in Jerusalem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hillel Fuld</span> Israeli American tech marketer and vlogger/blogger

Hillel Fuld is an American Israeli technology business advisor, blogger, and vlogger. Fuld's work focuses on the Israeli high tech industry, guidance for startup companies, and marketing tips for growing a business or personal brands.

Avram Mlotek is an American rabbi, social activist, cantor, writer, actor and slam poet. Mlotek is the co-founder of Base, a pluralistic home-centered outreach program, established in nine cities worldwide, predominantly for Jewish young adults.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shalva Band</span> Israeli musical band

The Shalva Band is an Israeli band consisting of five disabled musicians. The band was established in 2005 by Shai Ben-Shushan as part of his personal rehabilitation journey. In collaboration with the SHALVA organizations music program, which supports and empowers individuals with disabilities and their families in Israel, the band has been a global representative of inclusion and integration of people with disabilities in society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2nd Jerusalem Biennale (2015)</span> 2015 art biennial in Israel

The Jerusalem Biennale, as stated on the Biennial Foundation's website, "is a platform for professional curators and artists to present contemporary works that relate, in one way or another, to the Jewish world of content. Every two years, a growing community of artists, art lovers, collectors, writers, researchers, and social activists gather in Jerusalem to celebrate Contemporary Jewish Art and to enjoy a variety of exhibitions, projects, site-specific installations and events under this conceptual framework."

Yehuda Kurtzer is President of the Shalom Hartman Institute. He has written and lectured widely on Jewish history, Jewish memory, leadership in American Jewish life, and the relationship between American Jews, Israel and Zionism. In 2012, he was named one of the "36 under 36 young educators, thinkers, social justice activists, philanthropists and artists reinventing Jewish life" by The Jewish Week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janno Lieber</span> American transportation executive

John Nathan "Janno" Lieber is the head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York. He was appointed acting chair and CEO in July 2021 and confirmed permanently in January 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yaacov Behrman</span> American rabbi and activist

Yaacov Behrman is an American rabbi, the Director of Operation Survival, a project of the National Committee for the Furtherance of Jewish Education (N.C.F.J.E), and a liaison for Chabad Headquarters. Behrman is also the founder of the Jewish Future Alliance, and a member of Community Board 9. In 2021, Mayor Eric Adams named Behrman to his mayoral transition team, and in 2023, to the mayor's Jewish advisory committee.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Story of the Parade". Salute to Israel. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  2. "The Salute to Israel Parade". Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
  3. "The Jewish Voice - More Jewish News than the NYP, the NYT, the WSJ & the Daily News Combined". The Jewish Voice.
  4. 1 2 "Salute to Israel UK". Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  5. Nathan-KazisMay 31, Josh; Images, 2012getty. "Memories From Israel Parade Founder". The Forward.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. American Jewish Year Book, 1996. VNR AG. July 1, 1995. ISBN   9780874951103 via Google Books.
  7. Lipton, Eric (May 21, 2001). "Violence in the Middle East Clouds a Celebration of Israel". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  8. 1 2 "35,000 marchers expected Sunday for New York's annual Israel parade". www.timesofisrael.com.
  9. "Salute to Israel" . Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 HISTORY OF CELEBRATE ISRAEL PARADE
  11. 1 2 "Celebrate Israel Parade Allows Openly LGBT Marchers for First Time". DNAinfo New York. Archived from the original on 2020-10-24. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  12. "PHOTOS: Gay Jews March For First Time In Celebrate Israel Parade". HuffPost. June 5, 2012.
  13. "Huge Crowd, Tight Security For Celebrate Israel Parade". June 2, 2013.
  14. Dobnik, Verena. "sea of white and blue at nycs israelday Archived 2014-06-01 at archive.today ". Poststar.com. June 1, 2014. Accessed June 1, 2014.
  15. "Sea Of White And Blue At Celebrate Israel Parade". June 1, 2014.
  16. "Hillel at the 2015 Celebrate Israel Parade". Default. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  17. Julian, Hana Levi. "Marchers Danced Through Rain at 2015 NY Israel Day Parade".
  18. "MKs march in New York's Celebrate Israel Parade - Diaspora - Jerusalem Post". www.jpost.com.
  19. Forman, Abra (June 6, 2016). "NY Governor: If You Boycott Israel, New York Will Boycott You". Breaking Israel News | Latest News. Biblical Perspective.
  20. "Governor Cuomo Signs First-in-the-Nation Executive Order Directing Divestment of Public Funds Supporting BDS Campaign Against Israel". Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. June 5, 2016. Archived from the original on 2017-01-19.
  21. "NYC turns blue and white for 53rd annual Celebrate Israel Parade - Diaspora - Jerusalem Post". www.jpost.com.
  22. "Celebrate Israel parade steps off in Manhattan". Newsday.
  23. "Rehearsal: David Serero sings the Hatikvah to open the Israel Parade 2017". June 4, 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21 via YouTube.
  24. "Rehearsal: David Serero sings the US Anthem to open the Israel Parade 2017". June 4, 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21 via YouTube.
  25. "Marchers turn out in NYC for annual Celebrate Israel parade". ABC News .
  26. Leibovitz, Liel (4 June 2018). "As Tens of Thousands Celebrate Israel in New York, Many Wonder: Just What Does 'Sababa' Mean?". Tablet Magazine. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  27. Yellin, Deena. "Annual Celebrate Israel Parade draws large contingent from New Jersey". North Jersey. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  28. Wesson, Nora (5 June 2019). "Turning Fifth Avenue Blue". jewishweek.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  29. "55th Annual "Celebrate Israel" Parade to Highlight the Rich & Vibrant Culture of the Jewish State". The Jewish Voice. 2 June 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  30. Brawarsky, Sandee (28 May 2019). "At 95, Mastermind Behind Israel Parade Says He's Still 'A Work In Progress'". jewishweek.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 6 June 2019.