Israel Day Parade Brings Huge Crowd, High Spirits and to Fifth Ave.

Tens of thousands of Jewish New Yorkers, Israelis, their friends, allies and dozens of elected politicians came to Fifth Avenue to celebrate the Israel Day Parade on Sunday May 30. That certain politicians made a point of not attending the parade—most notably anti-Zionist Mayor Zohran Mamdani—was largely in the background of an event notable for its solidarity, joyousness and general high spirits.

Weather for the parade was dee-lish!—sunny and around 80 degrees. The parade’s high security, which required screening at various entry points on Madison Avenue, was enforced by Department of Sanitation roadblocks, NYPD, and the private Jewish security firm, CSS.

The theme of this year’s parade, which was organized by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC) in partnership with the UJA Federation of New York (UJA), was “Proud Americans, Proud Zionists.” Though the parade route ran from 52nd to 74th Streets, its early epicenter was at 55th Street, where the VIP and media stands were erected and where the Gothic Revival edifice of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church looms over the northwest corner.

If coincidental, this interfaith confluence was apt for the people of Israel itself, the parade is more diverse and inclusive than the binary Zionist versus Anti-Zionist argument allows. Thus State Assembly Member Lester Chang, a Manhattan Chinatown native who represents a district that includes the Brooklyn Chinatown of Sunset Park, wearing a twined American-Israeli flag pin, enthusing about the historically excellent Chinese-Jewish, some business competition aside.

Conversely, when two Muslim women, Anila Ali and Zeba Zebunnesa, announced they’d be attending a pro-Israel rally outside Gracie Mansion on Tuesday evening May 26, Shahana Hanif, a Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) City Council Member from Brooklyn, posted a rejoinder on X, “May Allah condemn you to Jahannan”—a curse wishing them to Islamic hell. That Hanif, herself a Muslim of Bangladeshi descent, would react so scornfully might seem impolitic if it didn’t reflect both her own beliefs (which included voting against an end “Jew Hatred Day” resolution in April 2023), but that of many DSA members too.

This also explains the peculiar position of Mayor Mamdani, an ideological anti-Zionist of longstanding. While Hizzoner’s absence from the Israel Day Parade was expected, is was also noted that the entire Mayor’s Office, including Mamdani’s “antisemitism Czar,” Felicia Wisdom, declined to attend.

Conversely, Mamdani’s pledge to protect the event, and his support for NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, at a Thursday May 28 press conference, was unwavering. Mamdani’s backing of the blue—if not the blue and white of the flag of Israel—is notable, as Tisch is both a proud Jew (she wore a Star of David necklace to her swearing in as Commissioner) and Zionist who would be be marching as a Grand Marshal in this year’s parade.

Like his recent Memorial Day address at the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, during which he wore an American flag lapel pin, Mamdani embrace NYPD’s extensive—and expensive— security apparatus reveals a more complex, and reality-based political mind than his critics might have expected and his DSA allies wished for.

Those Who Actually Do Show Up

Festive as the parade’s line of march would be, from the NYPD Mounted Unit, the Shomrin Society of Jewish cops and all who followed, for politics watchers, the opening ceremony was equally compelling. Emceeing was JCRC CEO Mark Treyger, a former two-term City Council Member from Brooklyn and one who, like many Brooklynites, has two ways of speaking, loud and louder.

“Lets give it up for all our allies and supporters who are here because that’s what matters! Those who actually do show up!” Treyger roared, before launching into a roll call including:

Jessica Tisch; Senator Charles Schumer; Governor Kathy Hochul; Attorney General Letitia James; State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli; City Comptroller Mark Levine; and Council Speaker Julie Menin. Members of Congress Laura Gillen, Mike Lawler, Grace Meng, Jerry Nadler and Dan Goldman. State Senators Leroy Comrie and Sam Sutton. State Assemblymembers Jeff Dinowitz, Lester Chang, Linda Rosenthal, Jenifer Rajkumar, Michael Novakhov, Micah Lasher, Alex Bores, Daniel Norberg, Amy Paulin, Ed Braunstein, David Weperin, Tony Simone, Brian Cunningham. City Council Members Irina Vernikov, Virginia Maloney, Kamilla Hanks, Eric Dinowitz, Lynn Schulman, Susan Zhuang. District Attorneys Melinda Katz and Darcel Clark. Boro Presidents Brady Hoylman-Sigal, Donovan Richards. and Vanessa Gibson. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.

Though Blakeman was backed by supporters with signs reading “Bruce Blakeman Loves Israel” and “Bruce Blakeman Fights for Israel,” the Governor he’s seeking to unseat was prepared, as that very morning, Hochul signed a statewide house of worship “buffer zone” bill into law, complementing the one Julie Menin shepherded through City Council with a veto proof majority.

Picking up the energy of Treyger’s introduction, an impassioned Charles Schumer told the crowd it was his granddaughter’s 4th birthday. “The two are related. We must fight for her, my little grandchild, to grow up in a world that’s safe for Jewish people. And I worry deeply about the future they’re going to inherit. The Holocaust showed what Jews have known for millenia, that our security and safety is never safe as long as we lack a place of refuge, a homeland. To quote the great Irish writer, Conor Cruise O’Brien, ‘Antisemitism is a light sleeper.’”

Letitia James, wearing a blue Grand Marshal sash and sunglasses, was even more energized, gesticulating and declaring “We march in honor of history and of culture. And we march because I, as an African-American, stand with the Jewish community against antisemitism now and forever. I march because the Jewish community stood up for the African-American community when we needed it, and it’s important that individuals see my face and know that the Jewish community isn’t the only one responsible for standing against antisemitism.”

Multilingual Mark Levine, though more soft spoken offered some impressive words in Hebrew, while Julie Menin, recalled “Eight years ago I was in Jerusale, for the bar mitzvah of my twins. It was such a meaningful moment for myself and my family. And that is why we march today. We are the second largest population of Jews outside of Israel. We are marching for Jewish pride, we are marching in solidarity for the Israeli people and we’re also marching in the fight against antisemitism, which has never been worse.”

Among other politicians present, former Mayors Mike Bloomberg and Eric Adams stood out, the former marching with Jessica Tisch, the latter revelling in the attention, and general affection with which he was greeted.