Desperately Searching for Israel

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.

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.

Released hostages attend 'Hatikvah'-themed Israel Day Parade NYC amid heightened security - watch
Several former Gaza hostages attended, including Andrey Kozlov, Ilana Gritzewsky, Aviva and Keith Siegel, Eliya Cohen, and Doron Steinbrecher.

This year’s Israel Day Parade in New York City saw over 40,000 people marching in support of Israel and the Jewish people in what is the biggest such celebration outside the Jewish state itself.

The march – renamed in 2011 as Israel Day on Fifth – commenced at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday morning and wrapped up at around 4:00 p.m. It has been celebrated annually since 1965, and has been under the management of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York since 2011.

This year’s theme was “Hatikvah,” meaning “the hope.” It is also the title of Israel’s national anthem. The logo of this year’s parade was a tree with multicolored leaves and a yellow ribbon on its trunk to symbolize the fight to free the remaining Gaza hostages.

“This year’s theme ‘Hatikvah, The Hope’ doesn’t feel like a theme; it feels like a prayer,” said UJA NY Federation CEO Eric Goldstein.

Several former Gaza hostages attended, including Andrey Kozlov, Ilana Gritzewsky, Aviva and Keith Siegel, Eliya Cohen, and Doron Steinbrecher.

Keith and Aviva Siegel addressed the crowd at the start of the rally, specifically focusing on the plight of the remaining captives. “I can’t stress the horrendous conditions that Aviva and I were held in,” said Keith.

“I cannot stress the suffering, day to day, and I think about the remaining 58 hostages who are still there, four of whom I know personally, and I spent time with them in captivity.” He added that he and his wife are on a mission: “We are doing whatever we can to get them home.”

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.

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.

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

2020 saw the parade go virtual.

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. These events attracted over 45,000 people to simultaneous street parades followed by open air rallies in Trafalgar Square London and Heaton Park Manchester.