Seventy-five years ago, on May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion publicly proclaimed the independence of the state of Israel in the former British colony of Palestine — creating a homeland for people of the Jewish faith in the shadow of the Holocaust.
Through more than seven decades of internal and external conflict, war and peace, the state of Israel — which Ben-Gurion served as their first prime minister — stands strong as a beacon of hope and freedom for the world — something that will be celebrated at this year’s “Celebrate Israel Parade” in Midtown this Sunday, June 4.
This year’s parade theme — “Israel @75: Renewing the Hope” —is meant to inspire hope for lasting peace, health, and happiness and aims to bring the Jewish people closer together despite their political differences.
The annual parade, organized by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY) and the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) of New York and Greater New Jersey, begins at 11 a.m. at 5th Avenue and 57th Street and will make its way up along the boulevard to 73rd Street where it will end at 4 pm.
The ‘Celebrate Israel Parade’ has existed since 1965 when thousands marched down Riverside Drive supporting the people of Israel. It has since evolved into “the world’s largest expression of solidarity with the Jewish state outside of Israel.”
After the JCRC-NY took over the parade in 2011, the organization changed its name to the ‘Celebrate Israel Parade,’ focusing on Israel’s diversity.
Each year, the march draws tens of thousands of onlookers from the greater New York area, home to the largest Jewish community outside of Israel. The marchers and parade watchers proudly display the blue and white Star of David flag demonstrating their pride and connection to their homeland.
According to the organizers, Sunday’s festivities will include over 250 groups with 40,000 marchers, 30-plus floats, marching bands, musical performers, elected…
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