Israel Day Parade is Outpouring of Solidarity for Israel’s 75th Anniversary of Independence

Some 40,000 marched in the 2023 Israel Day Parade celebrating the nation’s 75th anniversary of independence. The parade is believed to be the largest display of solidarity with Israel in the world © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

By Karen Rubin, News-Photos-Features.com

This year’s Israel Day Parade along New York City’s Fifth Avenue, themed “Israel @75: Renewing the Hope,” celebrated the nation’s 75th anniversary since its historic founding, and may well have been the largest.

With some 40,000 marchers from throughout New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Rockland, New Jersey and as far as Pennsylvania, Ohio and Canada, it is the largest display of solidarity for Israel in the world.

This year’s was especially jubilant, and is typical, not without its protesters. This year, many of those marching, as well as a smattering on the sidelines, held signs in support of the pro-democracy movement

Among the politicians showing support for Israel: New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, and Attorney General Letitia James © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

The Israel Day Parade (also known as the Salute to Israel or the Celebrate Israel Parade) is an annual parade held in New York City each June to celebrate the creation of the State of Israel in 1948.

The parade is billed by the organizers as the largest meeting of people in support of the nation of Israel in the world.

As he has done for 25 years, Stanley Hochhauser, a CPA from Hicksville, Long Island, blows the shofar to start the Israel Day Parade © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

As is the tradition, the parade got underway with the blowing of shofars – Stanley Hochhauser, a CPA from Hicksville, Long Island has done the honors for the past 25 years –  to open the festivities, followed by colorful floats and marching bands.

Another tradition of the Israel Day Parade are the protesters.

Marchers, who had been showing great energy and enthusiasm, became most animated when hit the line of anti-Israel/anti-Zionism protesters – a cluster of ultra-Orthodox Jews co-existing with pro-Palestinian protesters. Joyful chants of celebration turned to angry defiant ones.

What would an Israel Day Parade be without protest? Marchers take on the anti-Zionist ultra-Orthodox and the pro-Palestinians © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

The youngest children were bewildered at seeing ultra-Orthodox Jews who condemn the creation of Israel (until the messiah has come) allied with pro-Palestinians; teen boys were the most animated in a not-going-to-take-it-anymore way, felt empowered being in the majority, separated by fencing, and for one of the rare times in Jewish history, with the power-edge. And their respective group organizers did an excellent job of moving people along in order to avoid any confrontation.

Younger children seemed bewildered by the protests © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Further up along the march, the protesters were pro-israel but anti Netanyahu’s far-right bend toward authoritarianism. Many of the 40,000 marchers celebrating Israel’s 75th year of Independence also carried signs “Freedom. Equality. Democracy.”

But 40,000 to perhaps 100, if that many.  A rare imbalance of that proportion to a minority people that has suffered anti-Semitism since the beginning of time, with the exception of Israel, founded as a Jewish state.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer,who, as the Senate Majority Leader is the highest ranking elected American Jew, marches in the Israel Day Parade © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

It is an opportunity for politicians to also show their solidarity with Israel – among them, US Senator Charles Schumer, who noted he is the highest ranking American Jew ever in government (higher than Douglas Emhoff, the first ever Jewish Second Gentleman); Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James (who notes she spent 10 years as the representative for Crown Heights, Brooklyn), Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, NYC Mayor Eric Adams and the City’s Councilmembers; Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and County Legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip.

Among the celebrities, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the renowned sex therapist, media personality and a Holocaust survivor.

The parade, along Fifth Avenue from 57th Street to 77th Street, has been an annual event in New York 1965,when thousands of American Zionist youth walked down Riverside Drive in support of the young State of Israel. This impromptu walk gradually evolved to include Jewish community organizations, synagogues, marching bands, and floats as it morphed into the Salute to Israel Parade on Fifth Avenue.In 2011 the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York assumed management of the Parade and officially changed the event’s name to the Celebrate Israel Parade to focus on celebrating the vibrant and diverse State of Israel.

Here are highlights:

Marching in the 2023 Israel Day Parade celebrating the nation’s 75th anniversary of independence with “Hope”  © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Celebrating Israel’s 75th anniversary of independence© Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Marching in the 2023 Israel Day Parade celebrating the nation’s 75th anniversary of independence with “Hope” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Marching in the 2023 Israel Day Parade celebrating the nation’s 75th anniversary of independence with “Hope” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
North Shore Hebrew Academy, Great Neck, Long Island, celebrates Israel’s 75th anniversary of independence with “Hope” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Celebrating Israel’s 75th anniversary of independence© Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Celebrating Israel’s 75th anniversary of independence© Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Celebrating Israel’s 75th anniversary of independence© Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Riverdale Jewish Community Partnership celebrates Israel © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Celebrating Israel’s 75th anniversary of independence© Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
“We are here for Holocaust Survivors” at the Israel Day Parade © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Among the celebrities at the Israel Day Parade, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the renowned sex therapist, media personality and a Holocaust survivor © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli shows solidarity with Israel © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
NYS Attorney General Letitia James stands with Israel © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
New York City Mayor Eric Adams shows solidarity with Israel © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Nassau County Long Island has a huge contingent marching in the Israel Day Parade © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Israel Day Parade marchers from Columbus Ohio © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Marching in the 2023 Israel Day Parade celebrating the nation’s 75th anniversary of independence with “Hope” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Marching in the 2023 Israel Day Parade celebrating the nation’s 75th anniversary of independence with “Hope” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which stands against anti-Semitism and racism, marches in the Israel Day Parade © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Marching in the 2023 Israel Day Parade celebrating the nation’s 75th anniversary of independence with “Hope” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Rambam Mesivta of Lawrence, Long Island, marches for Israel © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Marching in the 2023 Israel Day Parade celebrating the nation’s 75th anniversary of independence with “Hope” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
North Hempstead Councilwoman Veronica Lurvey and former Supervisor Jon Kaiman join Temple Israel of Great Neck to celebrate Israel © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Temple Beth-el of Great Neck, Long Island, celebrates Israel’s 75th anniversary of independence with “Hope” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Marching in the 2023 Israel Day Parade celebrating the nation’s 75th anniversary of independence with “Hope” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
“We Stand With the Israeli LGBTQ Community” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Bnei Akiva of the US and Canada celebrates Israel’s 75th anniversary of independence © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Celebrating Israel’s 75th anniversary of independence© Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Celebrating Israel’s 75th anniversary of independence© Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

See also:

American Jews Are Right to Stand With Israeli Protesters in Defense of Democracy

Facing Surge, Fed, State Officials Get Serious About Combating Antisemitism: ‘Silence is Complicity’

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