NEW YORK — The annual Israel Day on 5th, a massive parade through the center of Manhattan, will take place on Sunday, with the plight of the hostages the centerpiece of the annual show of support for Israel.
The march is a significant show of support for Israel in the city, and a moment of solidarity for the Jewish community, as Jewish New Yorkers continue to deal with the fallout from the October 2023 Hamas invasion of Israel.
This year’s march will feature Israelis formerly held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, including Eliya Cohen, Ilana Gritzewsky, Andrey Kozlov, Aviva and Keith Siegel, and Doron Steinbrecher. The hostages are marching to raise awareness ofthe 58 captives still held in Gaza.
This year’s parade logo is a bright, multicolored tree with a yellow ribbon in support of the hostages on its trunk.
The theme for this year is “Hatikvah,” meaning “The hope” — the title of Israel’s national anthem.
New York’s political leadership has remained staunchly supportive of Israel despite tensions surrounding the war. An array of elected officials typically attends the parade, including officials from Israel.
New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams and State Attorney General Letitia James are all scheduled to attend.
The parade takes place on the iconic Fifth Avenue in the center of Manhattan. The procession starts at 11:30 a.m. at 62nd st. and continues north to 74th st. The event will be broadcast live on the local news outlet Fox 5 NY.
Jewish groups march together and pilot floats down the avenue, performers play music, and thousands of students from area day schools parade down the street. Tens of thousands of participants usually join the march.
Organizers said that spectator areas on the sidelines of the march are limited, available on a first-come-first-served basis, and that no backpacks and other items will be allowed. The parade takes place under heavy police security, in addition to security provided by Jewish community groups.
There are near-daily anti-Israel protests on the city’s streets and college campuses, and the parade acts as counterweight and a show of force in support of the Jewish state. Only a handful of anti-Israel protesters typically show up at the march.
In addition to the protests, Jews in the city are targeted in hate crimes more than all other groups combined, and anti-Israel rhetoric is graffitied on the streets and rampant on social media.
The event is organized by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, with the support of the UJA-Federation of New York. Organizers strive to keep the march nonpolitical in tone.
Last year’s parade was led by family members of the hostages, and despite the war and antisemitism, mostly retained its festive atmosphere.
The annual parade began in 1965 with an impromptu march by thousands of Zionist youth in support of Israel. JCRC-NY has managed the event since 2011.