Plans Underway for Mass Parade

By COLlive reporter

Thousands of men, women and children from throughout South Florida are expected to attend Marlins Park on Sunday, May 18, 2014, marking the festive Jewish holiday of Lag BaOmer to express Jewish pride, joy and unity.

Joining celebrations taking place throughout the globe, the South Florida Jewish community will host its own grandiose “Lag B’omer Great Parade & Unity Fair” at the beautiful new home of the Miami Marlins located at 501 Marlins Way in Miami from 10:30am-4pm. Last year’s event was enjoyed by more than 12,000 guests.

Florida’s Great Parade & Unity Fair will offer a wide array of fun activities, musical entertainment and thrilling amusement rides, including exhilarating Zip Lines, all free of charge.

Guests can park for free in the multi level parking garages adjacent to Marlins Park and proceed to the parade starting point on the SE corner of the stadium. The Florida Great Parade will commence at 10:30am with all guests participating in an exciting parade featuring colorful Jewish themed floats, marching bands and juggling clowns.

The Great Parade will march around Marlins Park with unwavering Jewish pride culminating on the stadium’s West Plaza for a special unity rally, followed by unlimited fun with over 50 amusement park rides free of charge, carnival games, vendors, live Jewish music and a kosher barbecue.

Deemed the jewel of Major League Baseball, attendees will receive an exclusive tour of the beautiful new state of the art baseball stadium. Every child will also have the opportunity to make their way to the diamond and round the bases of the home team, Miami Marlins.

Singer Yossi Bayles and his YBO Orchestra will perform live contemporary, traditional and sefardic tunes. The day’s festivities will end at 4pm.

“Marlins Park is the ideal venue,” explains event coordinator Getzy Fellig, “almost the entire event will be under roof and shade to guarantee a day of tremendous fun, celebration and comfort.” The Florida Great Parade and Unity Fair is a joint effort of the more than 150 South Florida Chabad Centers.

Lag B’omer marks the passing of the great Talmudic scholar Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, author of the pioneering book of Jewish Mysticisim, the Zohar. Rabbi Shimon requested that his day of passing be celebrated as a joyous day. The day also marks the end of a terrible plague that befell the students of the esteemed Rabbi Akiva.

The Rebbe initiated the tradition of Lag BaOmer Parades, especially for children. Today, 70 years after the inaugural Parade for Jewish Children launched by the Rebbe in Brooklyn in 1944, Lag BaOmer Parades are a tradition in Jewish communities throughout the world.

Marlins officials met event coordinators, Rabbi Pinny Andrusier and Rabbi Shmuly Gutnick and readily agreed to host the Florida Great Parade & Unity Fair because of its special significance of unity.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Miami Marlins and the city of Miami for their tremendous cooperation and support of the Jewish community,” said Rabbi Andrusier.

For more info, visit Jewishunityparade.com