JPost.com, Ynet
Despite gray skies that threatened rain, tens of thousands of people turned out for a massive celebration of Israel on Sunday, at the annual Salute to Israel Parade on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue.
“What’s most important is the sheer volume of people marching up the avenue, many of whom are Jewish and many of whom are not Jewish,” said Michael Miller, executive vice president and CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, which oversees the event. “It’s a New York event in support of Israel.”
Marching bands, groups hoisting colorful signs and costumed marchers converged along the parade route, running up Fifth Avenue between 57th Street and 74th Street.
The parade was led by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, along with several public officials from the city and the state. Israel was represented by its ambassador to the United Nations, Professor Gabriela Shalev, Consul General Asaf Shariv, Israel’s first NBA player Omri Casspi and world boxing champion Yuri Foreman.
This year, parade organizers made a concerted effort to mobilize the Israeli community living in New York, Miller said.
“This is a day to celebrate Israel, to be proud of our Jewish heritage and our State of Israel,” he said.
IT WAS SALITA CHECK YOUR FACTS THERE WERE 4 GRAND MARSHALLS
DMITRIY WAS ONE OF THEM
WOOOT WOOOOT THAS WUSSUP
read the article!
it was not salita, but was in fact ‘world boxing champion Yuri Foreman. ‘
Shlomie is so cute!
the article forgot to mention that DMITRIY SALITA was one of the honorary grand marshalls in the parade