School was out in time to march in the Celebrate Israel Parade, held Sunday on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. In its 49th year, there is no bigger demonstration of support for Israel anywhere. The parade, which began in 1964 as an impromptu gathering on Riverside Drive, has grown to 35,000 marchers and hundreds of thousands of spectators. It is billed by Crain’s New York as the 14th biggest outdoor event in New York.
The change in name of the parade from “Salute to Israel” to “Celebrate Israel” reflects a historical change. The parade celebrates all the contributions Israel makes to the world, more than a rally call for a beleaguered nation that it was in the past. This year’s theme, “Picture Israel: The Art And The Craft,” showcased a burst of Israeli and Jewish artistic talent, including musicians Soul Farm, Gilad Segeav and Amir Gwirtzman, who hails from Tel Aviv and is known around the globe for his mastery of reed and woodwind instruments. Peter Max, the internationally famous illustrator and graphic artist, created all the posters and street banners.
The parade itself was an artistic tour-de-force, with 31 floats and 17 marching bands, along with clowns, skaters, stilt walkers, and camels that would confound Barnum &Bailey. The Jewish motorcycle club, Chai Riders, as always, cruised down Fifth Avenue on their bikes.
Michael Mittelman, director of Celebrate Israel, the organization running the parade, delights in the diversity of the participants. Almost any group can march if it supports Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, and if it is not a political lobby group (AIPAC excluded).The march represented every religious and social stripe, from Orthodox school groups to the secular, Zionist Shomer HaTzair, and even gay groups like Beth Simchat Torah (a gay synagogue in the West Village). Russian,Persian, and Syrian Jews also had their day in the sun. There was even a float carrying the Israeli national football (soccer) team, enjoying some R&R before their CitiField match against Honduras in the evening. (A match they won.)
You don’t have to be Jewish to like Levy’s Rye Bread, nor to march in support of Israel down Fifth Avenue. Most of the 17 marching bands came from non-Jewish schools, including the Christian group, Eagles’ Wings Ministries.
Literally from out of left field (looking from Israel) comes the Cyprus Federation of America. Why Cyprus? Mr.Mittelman says Cyprus and Israel share democratic values, both being islands of democracy in a sea of Muslim extremism. No Arab group applied, but Mr. Mittelman says they would have been welcome to show their support for Israel.
A parade without hand-shaking politicians is like Purim without hamentaschen. Gotham politicos across party lines were visible along the parade route. Among them were Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Andrew Cuomo, City Council Speaker Christie Quinn and mayoral candidate(R) John Catsimatidis. At the center of the political whirlwind making its way up Fifth Avenue was the one and only, scandal-ridden Anthony Weiner. His presence ignited uproars among the multitudes lining the parade. It’s still not clear if the boos outnumbered cheers—no one was counting. Weiner was seen carrying a megaphone and a full-sized Israeli flag, darting right and left trying to reach out to spectators across the police barrier.
After the Boston Marathon Massacre, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly wasn’t taking any chances and the massive police security was worthy of a visiting head of state. The police used helicopters to detect radiation on the ground, bomb-sniffing dogs, a counter-terrorism car with a 360 degree camera, and plainclothes policemen.
In the last three years, Mr. Mittelman has aggressively reached out to synagogues and Jewish organizations that normally keep a low profile to join the parade. His successes include “Moishe House”(residence communities for young Jewish adults), American Friends of Hebrew University, and over 75 shuls.
The parade was the lead tenor in a chorus of pro-Israel events that stretched the whole day. The day kicked off with “Celebrate Israel Run,” a race for children and adults in Central Park at 8 a.m.,and concluded with a post-race festival. The Israeli soccer team then faced off against Honduras later in the evening. The grand finale was the 20th annual Israel Day Concert, held at the Central Park Band Shell from 2:30-7:30 p.m., featuring numerous Israeli and American singers accompanied by the Shloime Dachs Orchestra. The concert was initiated by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin in 1993 to protest the Oslo Accords. This concert’s theme is “Israel and Jerusalem: Ours. United. Forever.” Danny Danon, Israel Deputy Minister of Defense, spoke, as did John Bolton, former U.S.Ambassador to the United Nations. The free concert was not related to the parade and is under the auspices of Young Israel Chovevei Tzion and the National Council of Young Israel.
by Jeff Klapper
