‘We are here to stay’: Israel Day parade celebrates solidarity

The blue and white skies Sunday afternoon matched the sea of flags that lined Fifth Avenue as thousands of Israel supporters flooded Manhattan to show their love for the Jewish State.

Known as the "Celebrate Israel Parade," which is organized by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York and held since 1964, it is among the largest gatherings in support of Israel around the world. But this year, on the heels of the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the normally festive atmosphere - with marching bands, floats and music - was toned down and the event was renamed "Israel Day on Fifth."

The focus of the event was on solidarity rather than celebration.

Police were prepared to deal with protests with extra security, barricades, metal detectors and a heavy police presence. But there were few protests and no violence.

A delegation of more than 70 hostage family members of different nationalities and religions, including Hamas captivity survivors, led the parade. They marched in matching black T-shirts and they carried posters with photos of their loved ones. The crowd greeted them with cheers and chants of "Bring them home now!"

Parade organizers said that they were anticipating roughly 40,000 marchers and spectators, including 200 participating schools and synagogues. "We had a lot more interest from groups that wanted to participate this year after Oct. 7," said Howard Pollack, director of the parade. But on Monday, parade officials said that over 100,000 marched in the parade and an additional 10,000 spectators came, according to numbers released by the Mayor's office.

Larry Kahn of Teaneck, who was among the participants who marched up Fifth Avenue from 56th Street to 74th Street on the Upper East Side said it was a positive experience. "It was very moving to be able to stand together as one and show the world we are here to stay and Israel is here to stay," he said.

"It was also very rewarding not to see any protestors throughout the route of the parade."

Among the numerous spectators who were waving the blue and white Israeli flag was Sue Margolis, who grew up in Fair Lawn and now lives in Hartford, Connecticut.

“It's been a horrible year with the attack on Israel, the war and antisemitism in America," she said. "It's wonderful to be here today with so many like-minded people who love Israel." Pointing at her phone, she said, "I'm about to send a video of this to my friend in Israel. I want him to see how many people here love Israel."

Regina Bensinger, who braved heavy traffic from Teaneck with her family to attend the parade, said that though she heard about a potential security threat on the news, she felt it was essential to show up to this. "It's important for us to be here to show that we won't be scared to show our support for Israel," she said. "We will always stand with Israel."

On some blocks, the crowd of spectators was so thick, it was difficult to walk through. This gave Yafit Cohn of Teaneck a thrill. "Seeing so many other supporters of Israel come out in full force in support of the Jewish homeland was inspiring and helped lift our spirits at a time when antisemitic sentiment and incidents are at a record high," she said. "While the tenor of the parade was more somber due to the heartbreaking hostage situation and ongoing war and its casualties, Jewish pride and an optimism for the future broke through."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Israel Day on Fifth parade in NYC held under intense security