(VIDEO & PHOTO LINKS AT END OF ARTICLE)
Thousands of people marched up Fifth Avenue on Sunday in the annual Salute to Israel Parade celebrating 60 years since the founding of the State of Israel.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, NY Gov. David Paterson and NJ Gov. Jon Corzine joined other elected officials near the head of the parade route.
Parade organizers said that approximately 100,000 people turned out for the parade, along with the usual 200 of so pro-Palestinian counterdemonstrators (AKA: Neturei Karta).
Contingents from yeshivas and Jewish day schools around the region marched in their school T-shirts.
A NY Times article quoting a parade sponsor says that that there are an estimated 400,000 Israelis living in the New York metropolitan area, many of them dual citizens or longtime residents with children born here. But in proportion to their numbers, their participation in the parade has been “marginal.”
Parade organizers this year, which is the 60th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel, have for the first time tried to reach out to Israelis and other Jewish communities long underrepresented, including Russian immigrants. But Mr. Miller said no one would know until the parade kicked off on Sunday morning at 57th Street and Fifth Avenue whether those efforts were successful.
VIDEO & PHOTO LINKS: Click HERE for a video, and click HERE for photos.
(Source: NY Times / CBS2 HD)
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9 Responses
what a kiddush hashem!!
It was marginal because the Israelis themselves know better than anyone else the corruption.
You call 200,000 woman scantly dressed, women singing along with boys, pritzus galore and Gd knows what else; a KIDDUSH HASHEM????
The sad part is not that there was Pritzus, the sad part is that you call this a kiddush hashem.
You people are so far removed from what is mutar and what is asur.
What a nebach.
Perhaps you can enlighten us. Tell us the maar mekomos in the Shulchan Aruch for this “kiddush hashem” of yours.
How utterly sad.
Hey Sar Hamash?
Scantly clad women? Were you there? Have any pictures to back up your claim?
I was there with my family and didn’t see anyone scantly clad on the parade route (in the parade or on the sidelines) though I did see plently of girls marching who were tzniut to the nines!!
BTW, kiddush hashem is in the eye of the beholder. 100,000’s were on the sidelines and they were peacefull and respectfull. Don’t see that at many parades.
Since when did marching in a parade become a Torah value? It’s the epitome of everything wrong with Modern Orthodoxy and Zionism which is the underlying desire l’hiyos k’chol hoamim.
it does not seem to that any yeshivos like Lakewood, Mir or MTJ or any other frum yeshivas attended,
Unfortunate only the lowest of Klal Yisroel attended & by them everything is Okay as long as you are saluting Isreal than the Torah is being placed on Hold.
Mixed Boys & Girls & not dressed properly at all in addition to wearing pants & other non Tzanius wear is all okay, to me this is called A chillul Hashem & those Naturei Karte had no business being there either & they are no better & have no business there, but this is only on excuse for them to enjoy the Pritzus & that is what they where doing there looking at improper attire & all the pritzus that went on there & shame on them.
the last time there wassuch a large gathering of jews was in the concertration camps where all uniforms wereexchanged for death
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SammyG: FWIW, I’m partially in agreement with you. It is unfortunate that the folks who participate in these events may not live up to certain Torah ideals and standards and that the secular zionist project is not in accord with the Torah. However, I do see kiddush Hashem in the fact that there is a display of achdus among Yidden and, in their way of looking at the world, a deep love for Eretz Yisroel.
Sar Hamash: I can’t argue a critique of halachic issues of the attendees, but, as I noted above, I believe we should at least look favorably on the positive aspects of the event, such as the achdus and display of love for Eretz Yisroel. These kinds of things are Kiddush Hashem, to the best of the present ability of many yidden. Let’s try to be a little more open in our hearts to the fact that they do not have the great blessings of the kind of yiddishe guidance that we received and that they are expressing their Yiddishkeit the best they can.
Does this mean that immodest dress is OK? Of course not. It just means we can and should look for the positive in our fellow Jews wherever they are holding.
TY
Definitely a great kiddush haShem. So many took the time to show support (if only in this small way) for their fellow Jews in Israel who continue to be in danger. Only small narrow minded people full of sinas chinam could fail to see a kiddush haShem.