The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, which organized the march, remembered the hostages with its signs.
Tzofim — Israeli scouts — from New Jersey and New York
Students and faculty from Yeshivat Noam in Paramus
A large contingency from Congregation B’nai Sholom/Fair Lawn Jewish Center, the Jewish Community Center of Paramus/Congregation Beth Tikvah, and Temple Israel of Ridgewood, joined together to march in the parade.
Frisch Students from the Frisch School in Paramus walk behind their banner.
Students from the Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey in River Edge smile as they stand behind its banner.
The Golda Och Academy in West Orange had students and faculty from both its upper and lower schools join the parade.
Students from the Torah Academy of Bergen County in Teaneck stand behind their banner.
Students fron Ben Porat Yosef in Paramus hold flags.
Students from the Moriah School in Englewood wore blue.
Faculty from Schechter Bergen in New Milford joined students in the parade.
Schechter Bergen students walk behind their banner.
Students from SAR in Riverdale fist-bump with police officers.
Students from SAR in Riverdale join the walk.
The Yavneh Academy in Paramus created a banner about hope rising; the parade’s theme was Hatikvah —the hope.
Yavneh Academy students welcome Edan Alexander home.
Ben Porat Yosef students hold flags as they walk uptown.
Students from the Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls in Teaneck hold both Israeli and American flags.
Students from the Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls in Teaneck hold both Israeli and American flags.
Tens of thousands of people marched up Fifth Avenue on Sunday. The crowd, marchers and onlookers alike, was estimated at more than 50,000 as the Israel Day on Fifth parade, with floats, bands, and large numbers of students and faculty from local day schools, including many from North Jersey and MetroWest, as well as representatives of other Jewish organization and Maccabiah Games athletes.
The day was gorgeous; many marchers waved flags, many sang, some danced, and lots of little kids beamed as they walked. Representatives of many local shuls stood on the sidewalks and cheered as the parade passed by.
It was the 61st time the parade marched uptown; it’s changed names many times — most recently it was the Celebrate Israel parade, and before that simply the Israel Day parade — but the route remained unchanged, and so did the high spirits, even though the outside world doesn’t look the same.
The parade’s theme was HaTikvah; in English, that’s the hope. There were some hostages who were freed from Gaza at the parade, and the father of a hostage who still is being held. There are many things to hope for Israel; one of the most immediate is freedom for the remaining hostages. The march made that clear.
It was organized, as usual, by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, with support from UJA of New York. Local and state politicians marched; there’s a primary coming soon, as none of them forgot.