Countdown to the Salute to Israel Parade

2010-05-22T22:51:00.000-07:00

1 Day!!

For our final post, we figured we'd name some things that make the one democracy in the Middle East unique.

For starters, Israel is the only Jewish State in the world, and the only one to exist for a couple of millenia. Israel is also the only state comprised of a people that returned to their home after two millenia in exile. And while we're at it, Hebrew is the only language that was ever revived from purely academic, to once again spoken by an entire country as vernacular.

Israel was the first democracy and only the third country (after Ceylon and India) to have a female head of government (Prime Minister Golda Meir).

This might be a fact about America more than Israel, but it indicates the degree to which the two countries fates have been joined in friendship since Israel's birth-- America was the first country to recognize Israel.

http://www.betterplace.com/

BetterPlace is Israeli Shai Agassi's brainchild, a company that is putting out the first fully electric cars that will be powered by a "virtual oilfield", that is, solar battery stations that completely obviate the need for gasoline in the cars. Read more about it on the website, it's obviously the first such project, and it's awesome. Reduced oil dependence is great for the environment, great for the economy, and great for our foreign relations (we're heavily dependent right now on unfriendly states like Chavez's Venezuela for our oil).

http://www.israel21c.org/health/israeli-researchers-build-first-stem-cell-pacemaker

Four years ago Israel built the world's first stem cell pacemaker, essentially proving in a Technion lab that stem cells are capable of regulating the heart's electronic rhythm.

http://www.israel21c.org/environment/israel-builds-its-first-eco-friendly-town

I don't know if Israel is the first to do this, but this is the first such town I'm aware of in Israel. They build these incredible prefab houses and the entire town is planned along sustainable lines, such that the net impact of residents of this town on the environment is a positive one. I do know that there's a lot of interest, especially in the North, in more sustainable practices.

Which reminds me, Israel is the only country that left the 20th century with more trees than it entered with.

Technology is what it is, but it's the values of a state that determine whether that technology will be put to great use. Israel gave us operations Moses and Solomon, huge-scale transports of poor Ethiopian Jews to Israel in the 80s and 90s, as well as operation Magic Carpet in 1949 and 1950 (it was originally called "On The Wings of Eagles"), which brought 49 THOUSAND Yemenite Jews out from their oppressive country into Israel. Operations Ezra and Nehemia in 1952 and 1953 airlifted 120-130,000(!!) Iraqi Jews to Israel, saving them from riots and persecution. And so on, and so forth. Israel is the only refuge for the Jewish people.

Not that Jews are the only beneficiaries of Israel's kindness. Hundreds of Darfur refugees now call Israel home. They have gone where someone would take them, when no hope could be found for them in Africa.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jHcwlKqYLo&feature=player_embedded#!

A video of the first baby to be born in the IDF field hospital, the only field hospital that was set up for Haitian earthquake victims. The mother named her child Israel.

and here's CNN footage of the incomparable field hospital in action.

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2010/01/18/dnt.cohen.haiti.patients.dying.cnn

Israel also offered help to Turkey this year, when it suffered a powerful earthquake.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/israel-offers-aid-to-turkey-after-41-killed-in-earthquake-1.264336

and earlier than that, Chile.

http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2010/02/israel-offers-aid-to-quake-stricken.html

and a few years back, israel brought 85 tons of supplies to Indonesia and Sri Lanka after their terrible Tsunami.

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/About+the+Ministry/MFA+Spokesman/2005/Israeli+aid+arrives+in+Sri+Lanka+and+Indonesia+12-Jan-2005.htm

and of course, Hurricane Katrina victims.

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/About+the+Ministry/MFA+Spokesman/2005/Israeli+aid+to+Hurricane+Katrina+victims+5-Sep-2005.htm

Because Israel is unique in one other way. It is the only nation founded to be a Light unto Nations.

Let's celebrate it tomorrow! Come to the Salute to Israel Parade - Sunday, May 23rd from 57th - 74th Streets on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, from 11AM - 4PM Rain or Shine. BE PROUD! CELEBRATE! STAND WITH ISRAEL! Hope to see you all there....

...And, the Empire State Building will be lit in Blue and White in honor of the Salute to Israel Parade and the State of Israel! Go check it out! Special thanks to Empire State Building Lighting for helping us to arrange this.

2010-05-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

2 Days

Israel's 2 largest cities are, in many ways, 2 microcosms of the country. On the one hand, you have largely secular, extremely modern, coastal Tel Aviv. The beaches, the business, the bursa (Israel's stock exchange), the hustle and bustle of a modern city. Clubs, partying, lots of fun to be had. There are a few great universities-- Tel Aviv University, Bar Ilan (a religious college, actually), and the nearby Interdisciplinary College in Herzliya.

In short, Tel Aviv is a lot of what Herzl envisioned it would be in his book Altneuland, which in fact is called "Tel Aviv" in its Hebrew translation from German by Nahum Sokolow. A modern city, the 17th most expensive in the world, an Israeli Paris on the Mediterranean, the most modern and luxurious city in the Middle East, a model of what the Jewish people can do in a couple of decades.

But there's another model of Jewish city. Jerusalem is in many ways Tel Aviv's equal opposite. It houses huge religious and secular communities, including the ultra-Orthodox, the modern Orthodox, Conservative (Masorti), some Reformed (including a seminary), many Christians, whether Armenian, Eastern Orthodox or Catholic, many Muslims, mainly Sunni, and the large numbers of secular Jews. The city is modern in one sense (and the new train being built through its center, and the fancy bridge built for it reinforce that impression), sure, but one feeling you can't shake no matter how high the buildings get in Jerusalem is that this place is old. I mean, really, really, ancient. Like when I used to jog to the gym, I sometimes realized that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob might very well have tread this path at one point, long before there was pavement on it. It's a jarring feeling. It doesn't hurt that everything's made out of Jerusalem Stone to make it look like it was built before red bricks were invented!

There's no beach, unless you want to drive west to the Mediterranean or east to the Dead Sea (which isn't something you go for a swim in, more like a float). The hustle and bustle sure exists, and in that it's no different than Tel Aviv. And the clubs, bars, partying do exist, if you look for it. But what's so strange about it is that the bars in the center of town are literally a ten minute walk from the Western Wall, from the Temple Mount, from the City of David... like I said, jarring. Israel's flagship university, the Hebrew University that predates the State and counted men like Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud among its first board of governors, is definitely in line with Herzl's vision-- but all in all, I'd say that Tel Aviv is Herzl's dream city, one that any nation would be proud of.

Jerusalem is something else, a fusion of old and new, traditional and progressive, holy and mundane, fun and sobering. I guess "Altneuland" (Old-New Land) might apply to it, after all.

I think each city has something of the two Israels in it, and I think Israel is a far richer country, materially, spiritually, and culturally, for having both in one, not even an hour apart.

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Earlier today, the Parade tried to set the Guinness World Record for the largest falafel ball in in the world. Were we successful? Follow us on our website and on FB and Twitter to find out.... and pictures will be on Flickr soon!

2010-05-21T15:49:00.001-07:00

3 Days

The Israeli art scene is as vibrant as ever. just a few months ago Flash Art Magazine listed three Israeli artists among its top 100.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/three-israelis-listed-among-top-100-emerging-artists-1.5711

Which reminds me, Israel's looking pretty good for Eurovision this year. Make sure to follow Harel Skaat's performance in Oslo, Norway!

http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/15393

Here he is performing the song he'll be singing in Oslo. Israel has actually won the contest three times in its history-- back to back in 1978 and 1979, and 12 years ago with Dana International's "Diva". they also came in second two consecutive years, 82, and 83, the first with Avi Toledano's "Hora" and the second with Ofra Haza's (excellent) "Hai" (as in, "Life"). In 1991 Duo Datz put them in third place with "Kan".

Sometimes, Israel's remarkably quick progress from besieged fledgling nation to artistic powerhouse reminds me of this quote:

I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons out to study mathematics and philosophy, georgraphy, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commers, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain.

John Adams

US diplomat & politician (1735 - 1826)

May we merit to see the days when Israel needn't study politics or war, the better to focus on philosophy, history, painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain. And science, agriculture, and technology, just cause it'd be a loss to the world if that disappeared.

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Don't forget - come to the Parade and you can also try to save a life! Please help us find a bone marrow match for Matt Fenster. Stop by either Temple Emanu-El (East 65th Street between 5th and Madison Avenues) and Summerstage/Rumsey Playfield in Central Park (near 72nd Street). All it takes is a simple cheek swab and you could save a life! For more information, visit the Parade FB Fan Page.

2010-05-21T15:45:00.001-07:00

Day 4

Israeli technology, both civilian and military, is a frequent topic of this blog, which is why i often find myself seeing what the excellent Israel21c.org has to say. For today's post, I found the following article from three months ago. http://www.israel21c.org/briefs/four-israeli-start-ups-win-red-herrings

"Four Israeli starts-ups won this year's Red Herring Global 100 Awards in January: Video commerce solutions developer Qoof; SAP upgrade and support company Panaya; Internet video and P2P caching solutions developer Oversi and thin server developer MiniFrame.

The companies earlier won the Red Herring Europe 100 Awards.

The editorial staff of the Red Herring international media company evaluated the companies on both quantitative and qualitative criteria, such as financial performance, technology innovation, management quality, strategy, and market penetration.

The competition was first held in 1996. Past winners include Google, Yahoo, Skype, Netscape, Salesforce.com, YouTube and eBay.

Over the years, numerous Israeli start-ups have won the Red Herring Europe 100 Awards, including 16 companies in 2009, four of which made the Global list. In 2009, three Israeli start-ups also made the Red Herring North America 100 Awards: Correlix, Promisec and OpTier, all of which are headquartered in New York and have R&D centers in Israel."

The military innovation I want to talk about is Israel's Merkava 4 tank. It has a crew of four, weighs about 65 tons, is about forty feet long including the main gun, and fires 120mm rounds. It entered full production in '01, and the first battalion of Merkava 4's entered service with the IDF in '04. The Ministry of Defense plans to maufacture up to 400 Merkava 4's.

A friend of mine who drove a Merkava (3, the predecessor to this one, but what I'm about to say applies to this one) explained me why the 1500 horsepower v-12 diesel engine of the tank is in its front, with a fuel tank, and two fuel tanks in the back. The IDF's policy has always been that every man should come home, no matter what happens in battle, and so the engine itself is employed as a last defense. By putting it in front of the tank, though it is less protected, the humans inside are safer.

Such is a state built on Jewish values. Some of you may have noticed the big deal made of the kidnapped Israeli soldiers, Gilad Shalit, who has been the hostage of Hamas in Gaza for almost four years now (it will be four this coming June 25th). Israel's hostage exchanges typically mean releasing many, many, prisoners (most of them terrorists, all in jail for a good reason) to save the lives of just one or two Israelis. People wonder, why is one kidnapped soldiers worth so much to Israel? For the same reason the engine is in the front of the Merkava. The sons (and daughters) of Israel risk their lives to defend the Jewish State, and the Jewish State recognizes the responsibility this entails to protect them from harm at all costs. As the Talmud says, "All of Israel are responsible for one another".

Please remember that we have a new Parade route this year - from 57th to 74th Streets (instead of 57th - 79th Streets, as in past years). This means more concentrated fun and celebration, so join us on Fifth Avenue this Sunday!

2010-05-17T23:20:00.001-07:00

5 Days

5 Minutes for Israel is a new form of advocacy organization which seeks to quickly mobilize pro-Israel commenters for e-advocacy on news and blog articles, whether to preempt propaganda from other commenters or to refute it from articles and blog posts themselves.

On a less activist note, here is 5 Star Alliance's list of 10 recommended Israeli 5-Star Hotels.

I haven't stayed at all of them but I can vouch for most-- this summer's as great a time to go as any!

Here's a list (about three years behind, but it's hard to keep up with the rate of development and growth in Jerusalem) of 5-star restaurants in Jerusalem.

Here's a pretty self-explanatory link,

http://www.jerusalemite.net/blog/3553/the-top-five-jerusalem-falafel-joints. But I believe they have made a mistake. I noticed that it said these were the top 5 falafel joints in Jerusalem, but they seem to have left out Falafel Bis on Yochanan Ben-Zakkai street near Qatamon and the German Colony.

Finally, you have the 5 best children's attractions in Jerusalem linked to here.
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Breaking news - Former Knick Allan Houston to make an appearance at the 2010 Salute to Israel Parade! We're not saying when or where, though, so you'll have to come to the Parade to find out....

2010-05-17T23:16:00.000-07:00

6 Days

Last week, Jews around the world celebrated the (Hebrew date of) miraculous victory known as the 6 Day War. The best, most thorough, and most engaging history of this war is an excellent book called 6 Days of War, by Michael B. Oren (not content to rest on the laurels two excellent books, after writing Power, Faith, and Fantasy, a history of American involvement in the Middle East since the Revolutionary War, he became Israel's Ambassador to the United States). In it the author breaks down the background, the immediate context, and the day-by-day action, including the first day's surprise attack which, almost as soon as it started after only two waves of attacks, ended with General Moti Hod, the Israeli Air Force commander, told then Chief of Staff Yitzhak Rabin "The Egyptian Air Force has ceased to exist".

The war, though it liberated Jerusalem, expanded Israel's borders, and destroyed the bulk of enemy forces, did not bring a lasting peace to Israel. Just 6 years later, a surprise attack initiated by Egypt and Syria on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, what would begin the month-long conflict known as the Yom Kippur War. My favorite book on the war, The Yom Kippur War by Abraham Rabinovich, has this to say about Israel's performance in the war:

"in military terms Israel would recognize its achievement in the war as having few historic parallels. Reeling from a surprise attack on two fronts with the bulk of its army still unmobilized, and confronted by staggering new battlefield realities, Israel's situation was one that could readily bring strong nations to their knees. Yet, within days, it had regained its footing and in less than two weeks it was threatening both enemy capitals, an achievement having few historical parallels. Israel faced not just the Egyptian and Syrian armies but much of the Arab world, and did so with the arm it had most relied on, the air force, tied behind its back. As a military feat, the IDF’s performance in the Yom Kippur War dwarfed that in the Six Day War. Victory emerged from motivation that came from the deepest layers of the nation’s being and from basic military skills that compensated for the grave errors of leadership."

The war would leave Egypt in such a weak position, and Israel in such a strong one, that Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat soon recognized the need to negotiate a peace with Israel, leading to the March 26, 1979 peace treaty concluded between Egypt and Israel just 6 years after the Yom Kippur War. The treaty lasts even to this day.
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Congratulations to Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School for winning our Video Contest! We hope you enjoy spending the morning with Omri Casspi on Friday....

2010-05-16T20:35:00.001-07:00

7 Days

The Bible tells us of seven species of foods particularly favored by Israel's climate and soil. They are wheat, barley, grapes (my last post discussed the prodigious wine industry in Israel), figs, pomegranates (it also discussed pomegranate wine!), olives, and dates. Israeli produce, I can tell you from experience, has only improved since the biblical period, in diversity and quality. Who today can deny that Jaffa oranges are the greatest? And if you live in America and have the opportunity to shop at a store that sells Israeli pickles, get them-- they're way, way better. And their cucumbers don't need you to peel off the skin; they use less pesticides and don't taste nearly as bitter-- makes for a great salad (perhaps an Israeli salad).

Speaking of sustenance, the JTS website has a list of seven worthy charities you can support in Israel.

They include the Masorti (Israeli Conservative) movement's Emergency Fund, Neve Hanna Youth Village (caring for abused children and teenagers), Mateh Aharon (feeding the needy and displaced in Safed), the JNF (protecting Israel's forests-- at the time of the post, there were Katyusha rockets falling from Lebanon and brave firefighters went out under that threat to prevent forest fires), Yad Sarah (helping the needy with medical equipment), Hatzolah Israel (a volunteer, non-profit emergency medical service, assisting the victims of terrorism and other emergencies throughout Israel. They are the fastest medical response team in Israel, and the only team that works in coordination with Magen David Adom), and the UJC's Israel Emergency Campaign fund.
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Remember, people, just one more week to go! Stop on Fifth Avenue to see the Israeli flags next to the American flags on the lamp posts lining Fifth Avenue, right alongside our street banners... the Parade is almost here!

2010-05-16T20:26:00.000-07:00

8 Days

A blog we've mentioned before, Israel21c.org, wrote a nice article about Israeli wines just a few months ago including a guide to Israel's eight best wineries.

The Middle East was once the cradle of wine production, and ancient Israel (back when it was still called Cana'an) was one of the earliest countries to cultivate wine -- over 2,000 years before Europe (presumably, it was harder to find cabernet sauvignon back then).

The eight wines recommended in the article were:

1) Yatir

The winery fills a total of 800 casks each year. Yatir produces 120,000 bottles annually, about 20 percent of which get exported to the US, Canada, the UK, and France. American wine critic Robert Parker gave a top mark of 93 to the red 2003 Yatir Forest wine.

2 Golan Heights:

Parker's other favorite was the 2005 Gewurztraminer Heights wine Yarden. Golan Heights wine is Israel's most famous wine product, jointly owned by eight kibbutzim and moshavim (agricultural settlements) that supply the grapes. Golan Heights Winery produces six million bottles annually, 30% for export. Their three labels are Yarden, Gamla and Golan. As for me, if I had to make a recommendation, I say-- forget grapes a minute. Golan now makes POMEGRANATE wine. I had some last summer, and it is DELICIOUS. Strongly recommend spending the money on it, they have it in very reasonable price ranges.

3) Tzora

A kibbutz called Tzora along with three vineyards in the Judean Hills region produce around 80,000 bottles of wine from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer grapes.

4) Domaine Du Castel

A Judean Hills winery, you might get the opportunity to try their Chardonnay on El Al Airline's first-class wine list-- which one best in first class wines of all the airlines.

5) Carmel Winery

Israel's oldest winery began as a wine cooperative in 1906, with lots of help by French financier Baron Edmond de Rothschild. Carmel produces 30 million bottles of wine each year, including their mass-market labels such as Selected, and their premium wines such as Carmel Limited Edition.

6) Tulip

Tulip Winery has drawn praise for establishing a winery in Kfar Tikva, a residential community in the Jezreel Valley for adults with special needs, and working closely with members of the community, some of whom work at hte winery. The family-run business produces approximately 8,000 cases of wine each year.

7) Clos de Gat

Based in the Judean Hills, the winery produces about 50,000 bottles each year. Wine critic Daniel Rogov believes that the success of the small winery is owed to WInemaker Eyal Rotem's extensive knowledge of the soil and weather conditions of his vineyards, as well as the use of minimal watering to allow the roots of the vines to reach the natural water table. (You can probably guess why use of minimal watering is a technique Israeli winemakers prefer to rely on where possible.)

8) Sea Horse Winery

Finally, Sea Horse Winery on Moshav Bar Giora, near to Jerusalem's southwest, has been growing organic Syrah and Zinfandel grapes in its vineyard since 2000. All the farming is organic, contributing to its unique taste.
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Don't forget - come to the Parade and you can also try to save a life! Please help us find a bone marrow match for Matt Fenster. Stop by either Temple Emanu-El (East 65ht Street between 5th and Madison Avenues) and Summerstage/Rumsey Playfield in Central Park (near 72nd Street). All it taple is a simple cheek swab and you could save a life! For more information, visit the Parade FB Fan Page.

2010-05-13T22:18:00.000-07:00

10 Days

What else would we be providing for the "10 Days to the Parade" blog post other than Israel top-10 countdowns?

This first one is, we hope, the most useful-- if you haven't been to Israel in a while or ever, there is more to do than ever, and here's a top ten of activities:

In no particular order...

Float in the Dead Sea
Tour the Old City, Jerusalem
Haggle in the Carmel Market, Tel Aviv
Snorkel or scuba in the Red Sea, Eilat
Visit Yad Vashem, Jerusalem
Stand at the edge of the Ramon Crater
Enjoy a sunset on Tel Aviv beach
Visit the mountain fortress of Masada
Marvel at the Baha’i Gardens in Haifa
Have a night out in the City That Never Sleeps, Tel Aviv

Here's a top-10 from one of our favorite blogs, Israel21c.org, all about Israel's amazing science and technology advancements. Israel's top ten must-have gadgets.

One of our favorite gadgets.... Airplane travel is stressful. There are the security checks, uncomfortable seats, tasteless meals and then, of course, there's the fact that you're hurtling through the air at breakneck speeds in a tin box. But perhaps the worst party of all is waiting for your luggage. You never know when it's coming up the conveyer belt. You grab a bag only to discover that it belongs to someone else. Wouldn't it be great if you could just sit back and wait for your luggage to alert you when it's arrives?

That's the idea behind a simple device from Easy-2-Pick, a small Israeli company founded by two American Express travel agents. The gadget has two components. One piece attaches to the luggage, the other fits in your pocket. The range between the two pieces is only 15 meters, so the alert only sounds (it also lights up and vibrates) when your luggage is close by.

The next countdown is a list of top Israeli songs. The winner is, appropriately, Yerushalayim Shel Zahav, the song written by Naomi Shemer and performed by numerous Israeli (and non-Israeli) singers about Jeruslaem.

These are our top-10s for today, folks.
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A special thank you to Stanley Hochhauser, one of our shofar blowers, who will join us on May 23rd for his thirteenth year - Mazal Tov, Stan! We look forward to seeing you again on Fifth Avenue as you open the Parade with your skilled shofar blowing....

2010-05-12T22:04:00.000-07:00

11 Days

The Munich Massacre was a terrorist attack during the 1972 Olympic Games. Eight Palestinian terrorists killed two members of the Israeli Olympic team and then took nine others hostage. By the end of the ordeal, all eleven Israeli athletes were dead. Following the massacre, the Israeli government organized a retaliation against Black September, called Operation Wrath of God.

Well, one shouldn't end a post on such a sad note-- Jewish custom is to end on a happy note. So let's just remember that after the Six Day War, which was fought from June 5th-10th, Israel saw a Sabbath (not literally) on June 11th, 1967-- that is, a seventh day of rest and peace after six days of war and toil. Tonight (May 11th, coincidentally) we celebrate that victory on the Jewish holiday of Jerusalem Day (Yom Yerushalayim).

You can find out a little about Operation Wrath of God from the Steven Spielberg movie "Munich", and find out about the massacre itself from an amazing documentary called One Day in September (1999). Some prominent figures in modern Israel were involved in the Mossad's legendary operation to bring the terrorists to justice, including current Defense Minister and former Prime Minister Ehud Barak (in the movie, he is correctly depicted as having dressed up as a woman to assassinate one of the plotters of the massacre), and opposition leader and former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. Famous hero Yonatan Netanyahu (who lost his life leading the famous hostage rescue in Uganda depicted in the movies "Raid on Entebbe" and "Victory at Entebbe"), the brother of the current Prime Minister and one of Israel's most celebrated heroes, also led some retaliation operations.

Five of the terrorists were killed in a gunfight during the operation. Less than two months later, the three remaining terrorists were released by the German government after two other Black September members hijacked a plane and threatened to blow it up unless the three were released. (Israel's Prime Minister Golda Meir, by contrast, refused to negotiate with terrorists through the event.)

It has been a sad fact of Israeli existence to have to deal with frequent terrorist threats. After September 11th, Americans have also come to understand the destructive capacity of terrorism. Israeli counterterror experts often work with their American counterparts to protect American lives as well as Israeli ones.
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Only 11 days left to the Parade! Please join us as we celebrate Israel's accomplishments together. Now more than ever, it's important that we show our support for our brothers and sisters in Israel.

BE PROUD! CELEBRATE! STAND WITH ISRAEL!

2010-05-12T21:59:00.000-07:00

12 Days

While it may seem like the obvious choice to us today, a serious debate regarding the title of the modern state of Israel emerged before its founding. Some Zionists wanted to call Israel “Judea”, like the ancient kingdom of the Jews.

Judea got its name from the tribe of Judah (as did Jews in general). Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel according to the Bible) had 12 sons, and their descendants formed the 12 tribes of Israel. Those twelve tribes were each allotted a certain portion of the Land, with a significant portion given to the tribe of Judah, the tribe of kingship. This portion included Jerusalem, Hebron and other important cities.

After the split between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and the rest of Israel (see Kings for details), one kingdom was called “The Kingdom of Judah” and the other “The Kingdom of Israel”. After the expulsion of Israelites by the Kingdom of Assyria in 721 BCE, the only remaining Jewish kingdom was the Kingdom of Judah (called “Judea”, or Iudaea, by the Romans later). That’s how Jews came to be called Jews! Remnants of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, mostly living in the territory allotted to the tribe of Judah (Yehudim in Hebrew).

So, it wasn’t clear to all pre-state Zionists that Israel should be called Israel, rather than Judea. But Israel was decided on, to represent a country for all the “Children of Israel” (another name for Jews).

Much of the territory of Judah was actually liberated during the Six Day War, including eastern Jerusalem, the Old City, Gush Etzion (the Etzion Bloc) and Hebron. That is what’s being celebrated tonight and tomorrow, May 12th, on the Jewish holiday of Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day).
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Please help us find a bone marrow match for Matt Fenster! Stop by the bone marrow drives taking place on Parade Day at Temple Emanu-El (East 65th Street between 5th and Madison Avenues) and Summerstage/Rumsey Playfield in Central Park (near 72nd Street). All it takes is a simle cheek swap and you could save a life! For more information, visit the Parade FB Fan Page.

2010-05-10T21:27:00.000-07:00

13 Days

Tomorrow night, Jews will celebrate Yom Yerushalayim, the day commemorating Israel's liberation of the Old City and the reunification of Jerusalem during the Six Day War. After 2000 years, for the first time, the Temple Mount and Western Wall were again in Jewish hands on the third day of the Six Day War, June 7th 1967 (celebrated, however, as a religious holiday according to the Hebrew calender).

Here is a song about Jerusalem written shortly before the event by Naomi Shemer, performed by the one and only Ofra Haza.

The Six Day War snatched miraculous victory out of what seemed like certain defeat, a besieged and tiny Israel surrounded and invaded by Egypt, Jordan, and Syria (with some volunteers from other Arab countries). The Thirteenth Government of Israel, led by people like Prime Minister Levy Eshkol, Foreign Minister Abba Eban, Minister of Defense Moshe Dayan (previously Eshkol) and other now-immortalized names, guideded Israel through the turmoil of the Six Day War to permanently establish Israel as the most powerful state in the region. Jerusalem was reunified and the holy sites liberated. Read more about Israel's 13th Government here.

One of Israel's most elite military units (though one which, as of the Six Day War, was undertrained... not since!) is Flotilla 13, sometimes referred to simply as "Shayetet" (Flotilla). This is Israel's elite naval special-operations unit, comparable to Navy SEALs. One of its first operations was the daring raid on Beirut in 1973 (Operation Spring of Youth) which killed several members of Black September, the terrorist group which had massacred Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. In recent years, the group has conducted several flawless raids of ships full of weapons, including the recent Francop Seizure which found hundreds of munitions en route to Hezbollah, or the Karin A (A Palestinian ship smuggling weapons) during the recent Intifada.

2010-05-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

14 Days

On May 14, 1948, Israel declared its independence for the first time! Click here to see a YouTube clip of the declaration on Yom Ha'Atzmaut.

Israel today has 14 cities with populations over 100,000, including Jerusalem at 500,000 and Tel Aviv, which is considered to be approaching global city status. There's Haifa, home of the Technion Institute in the North, and Be'er Sheva, a city in the Negev Desert with may recently-arrived Russian immigrants, more chess grandmasters per capita than any city in the world (8, that's one in 22,000 people) and the famous Ben-Gurion University. The rate of Israel's growth has been breathtaking, and it all started with the idea that was given its fulfillment on May 14, 1948.

After a war for its survival, Israel established itself as a permanent homeland for the Jewish people. It began with a small population, mostly refugees, may of them Holocaust survivors who had see the very low point of Jewish (and human) history. Then the country began absorbing immigrants from far and wide, whether Jews moving for idealistic reasons, or to flee persecutions, or both. For example, hundreds of thousands of Jews from Arab countries made Aliya and were welcomed to their new home, even as they lost all their property in their old homes. Read about their story here.

Because of the zeal and motivation of that small population, which always grew as more Jews came to join in the amazing project of state-building, the population of Israel has grown and grown, to about 7.1 million today (about 5.5 million of them Jewish). And with this population growth has come incredible urban development!
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Just as we celebrate the founding of the State of Israel on Yom Ha'Azmaut, we also celebrate Israel and its accomplishments at the Salute to Israel Parade! We hope to see everyone gathering on Fifth Avenue in a showcase of pride, celebration and support for our Israeli brothers and sisters....

2010-05-08T19:09:00.000-07:00

14 Days

JOn May 14, 1948, Israel declared its independence for the first time! Click here to see a YouTube clop of the declaration on Yom Ha'Atzmaut.

Israel today has 14 cities with populations over 100,000, including Jerusalem at over a 500,000, and Tel Aviv, which is considered to be approaching global city status. There is Haifa, home of the Technion Institute in the North, and Be'er Sheva, a city in the Negev Desert with many recently-arrived Russian immigrants, more chess grandmasters per capita than any city in the world (8, that's one in 22,000 people) and the famous Ben-Gurion University (featuring such academic giants as Israeli novelist and peace activist Amos Oz and the controversial historian Benny Morris). The rate of Israel's growth has been breathtaking, and it all started with the idea that was given its fulfillment on May 14, 1948.

After a war for its survival, Israel established itself as a permanent homeland for the Jewish people. It began with a small population, mostly refugees, many of them Holocaust survivors who had seen the very low point of Jewish (and human) history. Then the country began absorbing immigrants from far and wide, whether Jews moving for idealistic reasons, or to flee persecution, or both. For example, hundreds of thousands of Jews from Arab countries made aliya and were welcomed to their new home, even as they lost all their property in their old homes. Read about their story here.

Because of the zeal and motivation of that small population, which always grew as more Jews came to join in the amazing project of state-building, the population of Israel has grown and grown, to about 7.1 million today (about 5.5 million of them Jewish). And with this population growth has come incredible urban development!
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Just as we celebrate the founding of the State of Israel on Yom Ha'Atzmaut, we also celebrate Israel and it's accomplishments at the Salute to Israel Parade! We hope to see everyone gathering on Fifth Avenue in showcase of pride, celebration and support for our Israeli brothers and sisters....

2010-05-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

15 Days

On the fifteenth of May, 1948, following the dissolution of the British Mandate for Palestine, the armies of Egypt, Transjordan,Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia invaded the newborn state of Israel thus starting the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

The rest, as we know, is history, and today the country full of Jewish refugees that was then hanging by a thread is a thriving first-world economy in a third-world sea (or desert). In fact, the Reut Institute’s “Israel 15” program now seeks to ensure that Israel join the 15 leading countries in terms of Quality of Life within 15 years. It seems especially doable with its booming high-tech sector. In fact, Google just bought its first Israeli start-up, Labpixies, last week!

“The start-up, which is run by a small team of 10 employees, has until now developed 70 widgets and has over 40 million users. The start-up is financed by private investors and received $1 million in a series round of funding in June 2008. One of the investors in Labpixies is Yaron Carni, who represents a boutique Angel group of high added value individuals from New York and London, who invest privately in a variety of Israeli based companies.” (article in the Jerusalem Post)

It’s no surprise, when Israel’s Technion (think MIT, just in Haifa) is ranked among the top fifteen electrical engineering departments in the world, while its engineering/technology and computer sciences faculties have been ranked among the top forty worldwide.
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Since we're on the topic of Israel and new technologies... we've selected a winner for our "Ride Up Fifth Avenue in the Electric Car Soon to Be Featured in Israel" contest! Congratulations to Lucille Roussin... we look forward to seeing you cruising up the route in this groundbreaking innovation on Parade Day!

2010-05-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

16 Days

In Israel, the most popular sports are soccer and basketball. As Americans, it might be hard for some of us to relate to the former. Basketball, though—that’s an American pastime. I mean, it’s hard to be a New Yorker these days and still care for the sport (the Bill Bradleys of yesteryear have gone into politics), but Israeli basketball is still thriving, both domestically and in the Euroleague. In fact, this year we finally got to watch Omri Casspi, Israel’s first Israeli-born NBA star light up the NBA.

Casspi made a name for himself in Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel’s winningest and most popular basketball club. They were founded in the 1930s, and when the Israeli Basketball League was founded in 1954 they won the first championship. They’ve won 48 national championships at home in Israel, and their first European championship came in 1977 under coach Ralph Klein, soon followed in 1981.

Maccabi Tel Aviv wowed audiences around Israel and Europe on October 16, 2005, when they beat the NBA’s Toronto Raptors. It was not only their first win in 21 years over an NBA team, and not only the first win over an NBA team by any Euroleague team in 17 years—it was also the first “European” (I know, I know, but it makes as much sense as the Toronto Raptors in the National Basketball Association) win over an NBA team on North American soil. Ever. Anthony Parker won the game for Israel with 0.8 seconds left, for a narrow 105-103 victory.

Anthony Parker is an interesting fellow. With Maccabi he won five Israeli Super League national championships, five Israeli National Cups, two Euroleague titles, one Suproleague title, and was voted two-time consecutive Euroleague Most Valuable Player. After returning to the NBA as a free agent in 2006, Parker established himself as the Toronto Raptors' starting shooting guard, as well as one of the better three point shooters and perimeter defenders in the league. He was signed with the very same team, the Raptors, that he showed up with Maccabi Tel Aviv. He loved Maccabi Tel Aviv so much, he even returned to them after a brief stint playing for an Italian team. In fact, according to Wikipedia:

‘He went on to wear jersey number 18 for both Toronto and Cleveland, explaining that: "I played in Israel before I came back to the NBA, and I had such a great time... two of my sons were born while I was playing overseas and one was actually born in Israel. And I just had such a great experience that I wanted to take something from that experience. The number 18, in Judaism, it means 'chai'... and it's the symbol for life and good fortune in Judaism. And I thought that was something to take away from Israel and let them know I'm still representing them."^’

^{Almost makes me wanna start watching basketball again…}

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Come see Omri Casspi at the Salute to Israel Parade on Sunday, May 23rd! Omri will be an Honorary Grand Marshall along with Yuri Foreman, first Israeli Boxing Champion and Adi Neumann, Israeli model. Don't miss it.... we want to see you there!

2010-05-05T20:26:00.000-07:00

17 Days

Recently, humanitarian activist, Holocaust survivor, Nobel laureate and author Elie Wiesel took out a full-page ad about Jerusalem. It began thus:

"It was inevitable: Jerusalem once again is at the center of political debates and international storms. New and old tensions surface at a disturbing pace. 17 times destroyed and 17 times rebuilt, it is still in the middle of diplomatic confrontations that could lead to armed conflict. Neither Athens nor Rome has aroused that many passions."

It is true that Jerusalem has gone through an incredible amount of history, always at the center of Jewish concerns (and often those of other peoples and religions). The City of Peace (as its name ironically means) has gone through a multitude of rulers, many of them recognizing the spiritual significance of the place where Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Joshua, Samuel, David, the prophets, as well as Jesus and the Apostles, as well as Muhammad (according to Muslim tradition) all walked.

Even today, the word "Israeli" refers to members of a number of religious and national groups. You have Jews of all stripes, whether religious or secular, black or white. You have Arab Muslims who are citizens of Israel, Arab Christians, the Bedouins of the Negev (usually Muslim but not always), and the Druze of the North (an interesting religious denomination related to Islam, but Muslims don't usually consider them Muslim). You've got the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem, an unusual religious group who live mainly in Dimona (best known for Israel's nuclear research center). They believe themselves to be descended from the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. You have some Armenian Christians, mostly in Jerusalem. Armenians were one of the first groups to convert to Christianity, and so their patriarchate is ancient indeed. You have Circassians, who are Muslims who were driven out of the Caucasus by Czarist Russia and speak a little-known language called Adyghe as well as Russian. You have a few hundred Baha'is, mainly those who work at Baha'i shrines like the Shrine of the Bab in Haifa. And you have Samaritans, a distinct enthoreligious group who live mainly in the West Bank and claim descent from the ancient Samaritans mentioned in the Bible (both Hebrew and Christian).

All that, in a state smaller the size of Rhode Island with just 7,000,000 residents! And wait until you hear about the diversity of its climate zones...
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The Salute to Israel Parade's street banners are up and lining Fifth Avenue (and major cross streets) for the month of May! Thanks to Roni from our Gahelet marching group for the lovely picture. And thanks to our banner sponsors - Empire Blue Cross, El Al Israel Airlines, Robot Galaxy and IsraelPhones. See you all on Fifth Avenue on May 23rd!

2010-05-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

18 Days

The number 18 is numerologically equivalent to the Hebrew word "Hai" or "Life" (literally, "living," "you live" or "he lives"). It is thus often a suggested donation to Jewish causes for good luck. You may wear or may have seen people wearing necklaces with the Hebrew word "Hai" (pronounced "Chai" by most Ashkenazic Jews, substituting a "kh" sound for the guttural "H"), including Jewish poker pro Mike Matusow (and, allegedly, Elvis towards the end of his life).

There's a beautiful charity called Chai Lifeline, a cancer support organization that also runs Camp Simcha (Joy), a summer camp for children battling cancer and other hematological illnesses. Another charity I'm fond of, the FIDF, or Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces, "initiates and helps support social, educational, cultural and recreational programs and facilities for the young men and women soldiers of Israel who defend the Jewish homeland." The FIDF also provides support for the families of fallen soldiers."

As you may know, because Israel has always been a nation under threat, there is mandatory conscription there. When an American high school senior is applying to colleges, an Israeli one is thinking about which army unit he or she will have to join next year, because Israeli boys and girls are drafted to defend their people at the age of 18 for three years of service. The sacrifice these young adults make -- imagine, giving three years of your life to defend your country during what for many people are the best years of life -- comes at a cost. FIDF (and many other charities, like Pizza IDF) helps them shoulder this cost by reminding these teens and young adults that the Jewish people (and other well-wishers) stand behind them, and sometimes providing more concrete services for their physical and emotional needs.
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Be Proud! Celebrate! Stand With Israel! Come to the Salute to Israel Parade on Sunday,May 23rd (wow, less than three weeks away)... send a message to the world that the Jewish State and the Jewish Nation live - Am Yisrael Chai!

2010-05-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

19 Days

On November 19th, 1977, Anwar Sadat made history by becoming the first Arab leader to visit Israel, beginning a peace process that would lead to Israel's first peace with its Arab neighbors. The treaty concluded between Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat after Henry Kissinger's shuttle diplomacy would make Egypt (by population, a quarter of the Arab world) the first peaceful neighbor of Israel, would give the Sinai peninsula back to Egypt, would earn both leaders Nobel Prizes, and would lead to the assassination of Sadat by radical Islamist forces in Egypt.

That same day in 1977 happened to be the 20th birthday of Ofra Haza, the Yemenite-Jewish singer I've mentioned in a previous post. I don't know if she ever sang about peace with Egypt, but she definitely sang in the movie "The Prince of Egypt", the song "Deliver Us.

In barely-related singing news, when Lady Gaga visited Israel for her August 19th, 2009 performance (she is, unsurprisingly, a Tel Aviv favorite), she dressed fairly modestly (certainly by her standards) while touring the Holy Land out of respect, wearing pants and, strangely, a headscarf. (link).
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Speaking of music entertainers... tomorrow we will be announcing on our website the music bands and performers who will be entertaining on our floats at the 2010 Salute to Israel Parade! Visit our website tomorrow for more information about our exciting entertainers!

2010-05-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

20 Days

Israel set a new Guinness World Record in January, 2010 with 9,000 pounds (four tons!) of hummus served in a 20-foot-wide satellite dish that was used as a bowl.

Over 50 Jewish and Arab chefs, along with a group of 400 volunteers, worked together to beat the then-standing record for the largest serving of hummus.

These chefs nearly doubled the record that was set in Lebanon on October 24, 2009. That record had broken an earlier Israeli record. The latest challenge was initiated by Juwdat Ibrahim, founder of the most renowned hummus restaurant in the village of Abu Ghosh (already known for its hospitality and the co-existence of Jews and Arabs within its borders).

But this Israeli victory may be short-lived, as Lebanese Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud pledged to The Associated Press that his country will attempt to beat this new record in the Spring with an even larger plate of hummus. Abboud plans to prepare this bowl of hummus on his country's border with Israel.

Nothing like some healthy competition... better to be competitive than combative!
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The Salute to Israel Parade will attempt to set its own Guinness World Record for the world's largest falafel ball on Friday, May 21, 2010 at the Hudson Terrace. Five local restaurants will compete for the world record! Stay tuned for more information, and visit our website after the Parade for pictures of the event....

2010-05-01T20:44:00.000-07:00

21 Days

There's this great website we think all Israel fans should check out. Or all science fans. Or all humanity fans. It's called www.israel21c.org, and it provide news on the perpetually exciting technology coming out of Israel as the country helps move the world forward through the 21st century. As an example, today's linked articles mention how Google just bought its first Israeli start-up (probably the first of many, as Israel is the "Start-Up Nation"), or how a recommendation for an Israeli fat-burning product in one of Oprah's magazines made its stock sore, or what Israeli aid workers are trying to do in Haiti to continue the amazing work they've been doing thus far.

This site does a great job reminding us what Israel is all about-- constant progress, constant renewal, constant accomplishment. A people restored, in their land restored, making huge breakthroughs in science for the good of all mankind-- that's what Zionism is all about.
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To commemorate Israel's incredible accomplishments in Haiti after the devastating earthquake a few months ago, the Salute to Israel Parade is bringing diplomatic representatives from both Israel and Haiti together in Bowling Green Park for an Israeli Flag Raising Ceremony. More information coming soon.....

2010-05-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

22 Days

A major part of Israeli society is the culture surrounding its military. Most Israelis serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for three years, and it therefore is a key milestone in life much like college for 18-21-year-olds in America. So it's not a surprise that much Israeli art and film revolves around the IDF.

For example, there is a popular Israeli show called M.K. 22 (Mem Qoph 22, are the Hebrew letters, which stand for something like 'permanent military camp' 22), which has been jokingly referred to as "Tzahal Park" (which means IDF Park, a reference to its similarities to the irreverent American cartoon South Park). The show is animated and satirically deals with Israel Defense Forces culture as well as Israeli society and current events. The title "Mem Qoph 22" may also bring to mind "Milkod 22", which is Hebrew for "Catch-22"-- appropriate for a military satire show (they say that M*A*S*H was also based on Catch-22).

At any rate, the show saw some positive critical acclaim, but may not return for a second season in spite of its popularity due to negotiations.... Story of the Middle East, I guess. Even when you win, you lose -- that's the spirit of Milkod 22.

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Speaking of the military... did you know that our 2010 Parade Grand Marshall, Meshulam Riklis, spent nearly five years serving in the British Army in World War II? Meshulam is an accomplished businessman, intellectual and entrepreneur - to learn more about this year's Grand Marshall, click here.

2010-04-29T22:10:00.000-07:00

23 Days

The highest ratio of shooting down airplanes to losing airplanes in dogfights with enemy countries belongs to the Israel Air Force (IAF). Since the birth of Israel, the IAF has shot down 687 enemy aircrafts in air-to-air combats and has only lost 23 aircrafts, yielding a ratio of 30:1!

To quote the website www.amazing-airplanes.com:

"18 enemy planes were shot down in dogfights in the 1948 War of Independence. A single Israeli plane may have been shot down in a dogfight over the Galilee, but the exact circumstances of its demise were never established in certainty.

Seven enemy planes were shot down in the course of the Sinai Campaign, without a single Israeli plane being shot down.

In the Six Day War, 60 enemy planes and 12 IAF planes were shot down.

The War of Attrition saw 111 enemy planes and four Israeli planes shot down.

277 enemy planes were shot down in the Yom Kippur War - accounting for over a third of the IAF`s total kills since 1948. Of the planes lost by the IAF in the war, only five were shot down in dogfights.

88 enemy planes were shot down in the Peace for Galilee Campaign. Not one Israeli plane was shot down in a dogfight.

126 enemy planes were shot down in dogfights in the years between the wars - most of them in the 70`s. The IAF lost only two planes in dogfights between the wars, in 1959 and in 1964."

While this record is certainly impressive, we shouldn't be surprised by this ratio after reading about how Israelis are incredible strategists in the post from Day 56 about how Israel has more chess grandmasters per capita than any other country in the world....

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Speaking of setting records, the Salute to Israel Parade will be attempting to set a Guinness Book Record on May 21st for the Largest Falafel Ball in the world! Five Mediterranean-style restaurants will compete to cook, through natural ingredients and traditional cooking methods, the falafel ball with the largest circumference. For more information about the contest and the results, keep checking our website...

2010-04-28T19:39:00.000-07:00

24 Days

Remember the blog post from three days ago about Bob Dylan's "Neighborhood Bully", an ironic folk-rock take-down of Israel's hypocritical opponents? Well, here is a video that characterizes our feelings about Israel's 62nd birthday. It features Canada's greatest folk composer, the incomparable Leonard Cohen, who went to a Jewish day school and composed such well-known songs (full of allusion to Jewish themes and the Bible) as "Hallelujah".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYK8pnEr4d0

This is a video of Cohen playing a concert in Tel Aviv last year, on September 24th. Tel Aviv is often called "The City that Never Sleeps" (New Yorkers, don't roll your eyes. Every region thinks they have one, it's not their fault they're not us!), because of its 24/7 hustle and bustle. Leonard Cohen's show comes less than a year before the upcoming Bob Dylan concert and an array of other exciting musical events to occur this year in Tel Aviv (off the top of my head, I know Metallica's coming soon, but that might not be everyone's cup of tea...).

Though big bands might be wary at first of traveling to Israel to perform, once they see the enthusiasm of Israeli fans at a concert, they know it's worth the trip. And aside for the big bands, there are the amazingly diverse and talented artists within Israel - bands like the funky "The Apples" or "Funkenstein", the profoundly soulful reggae of Idan Raichel, the politically left-wing oriented rap of Hadag Nachash and the Zionism-inspired rap of Subliminal (sometimes spelled Sabliminal), the incomparable violinist Itzhak Perlman (who played, among other things, the theme of Schindler's List) and other virtuosos like Gil Shaham (Israel has more violinists per capita than any other country in the world), the jazz and jazz-fusion artist Avishai Cohen, a tremendous bassist who shares a name with the trumpetist Avishai Cohen of another jazz act, a trio of Cohens...

We could go on forever... Like we said before, the music scene of Israel, especially Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, is hopping 24/7!
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The contest to ride in the Parade in the electric car that will soon be featured in Israel's battery swap stations ends this Monday, May 3rd. Don't miss the opportunity to ride up Fifth Avenue in this groundbreaking innovation - enter now before it's too late!

2010-04-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

25 Days

The TA - 25 is the Tel Aviv 25 index, a list of 25 stocks traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Its been consistently rising for several months now. It is notable that Israel's economy, in spite of how closely linked the sheqel is to the dollar, has weathered the global financial crisis beautifully. If I had to pin that on the guy, it'd be Stanley Fischer.

Stan Fischer was born in Zambia (then Northern Rhodesia) in 1943, and got some fancy econ degrees at a little place called LSE (the London School of Economics) is the top university in the world for its field), and got his PhD from MIT, where he taught for several years and wrote two textbooks. His connection to America? Let's put it this way, when Ben Bernanke, our Fed chairman, was worrying sick over meeting deadlines for his thesis advisor, that advisor putting the fear of God into Bernanke was none other than Stanley Fischer. He also strongly influenced the prominent conservative economist Greg Mankiw.

He served for two years as Vice President of the World Bank and their Chief Economist. He was also the First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (if these names mean nothing to you, let me put it this way: this guy's got a resume that'd make most Nobel Prize winning economists jealous).

So what does this genius do now? He is Governor of the Bank of Israel. America's Federal Reserve Chairman's college thesis advisor is Israel's national bank governor! Amusing, no? And, it seems, the master has performed as admirably in old age as he did when teaching his student. As mentioned, the TA-25, along with the rest of the Israeli stock market, continues to grow. Businesses are booming; new startups are being bought up by American companies all the time (as you can read about in Dan Senor's new bestseller, Start-Up Nation, an excellent book detailing the miracle that is the Israeli economy).

Fischer joins a venerable list of brilliant field leaders (much like the chemist Chaim Weizmann) who have opted to use their prodigious talents for the good of the Jewish people in their own state. He speaks perfect Hebrew, of course.

The Parade is AROUND the corner and at our highly anticipated falafel contest, which will take place on Friday, May 21st, we will set a Guinness Book Record for the largest falafel in the world... How cool!

2010-04-26T20:34:00.000-07:00

26 Days

Since we're sure you were wondering about the significance of the number 26 in Israel's history, here are a few important dates that relate to that number:

- An order on May 26, 1948 from then Defense Minister David Ben-Gurion officially organized the Israel Defense Forces as a conscript army formed from the paramilitary group Haganah and incorporating the Irgun and Lehi military groups.

- The eleventh government of Israel was formed on June 26, 1963, halfway through the fifth Knesset. This government followed the second resignation of David Ben-Gurion as prime minister and was formed by Levi Eshkol.

- The Yom Kippur War (Milhemet Yom HaKipurim) lasted three weeks and ended on October 26, 1973.

- Ron Huldai, former fighter pilot in the Israel Defense Forces and current Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo, was born on August 26, 1944 and served in the Israeli Air Force for 26 years (1963-1989).
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Mayor Ron Huldai was an Honorary Grand Marshall in the 2009 Salute to Israel Parade. This year's Honorary Grand Marshalls include Omri Casspi - first Israeli basketball player, Yuri Foreman - Israeli World Boxing Champion, and Adi Neumann - Israeli supermodel. For more information about the Parade's "Dream Team" of celebrities and to find out who is the 2010 Grand Marshall, click here!

2010-04-25T17:24:00.000-07:00

27 Days

27 years ago, in 1983, Bob Dylan's "Infidels" album rocked the music scene. Perhaps not one of Robert Zimmerman's (Dylan's real name) best albums, but it featured the following beauty, a song about a state the great American antiwar musician knew to love:

"Well the neighborhood bully he's just one man

His enemies say he's on their land

They got him outnumbered about a million to one

He got no place to escape to no place to run

He's the neighborhood bully

Neighborhood bully he just lives to survive

He's criticized and condemned for being alive

Not supposed to fight back and have thick skin

Supposed to lay down and die when his door is kicked in

He's the neighborhood bully

Neighborhood bully been driven out of every land

He's wandered the earth an exiled man

Seen his family scattered people hounded and torn

He's always on trial for just being born

He's the neighborhood bully

Well he knocked out a lynch mob he was criticized

Old women condemned him said "he should apologize"

The he destroyed a bomb factory ain't nobody was glad

The bombs were meant for him he was supposed to feel bad

He's the neighborhood bully

Well the chances are against it and the odds are slim

That he'll live by the rules that the world makes for him

There's a noose at his neck and a gun at his back

And a license to kill him given out to every maniac

He's the neighborhood bully

But he gets he must pay for he don't get it out of love

He buys obsolete weapons and he won't be denied

But no one sends flesh and blood to fight by his side

He's the neighborhood bully

Well he's surrounded by pacifists who all want peace

They pray for it nightly that the bloodshed must cease

Now they wouldn't hurt a fly to hurt one they would weep

They lay and they wait for this bully to fall asleep

He's the neighborhood bully

Every empire that's enslaved him is gone

Egypt and Rome even the great Babylon

He's made a Garden of Paradise in the desert sand

In bed with nobody under no ones command

He's the neighborhood bully

Now his holiest books have been trampled upon

No contract he signed was worth what it was written on

He took the crumbs of the world and he turned it into wealth

Took sickness and disease and he turned it into health

He's the neighborhood bully

What's anybody indebted to him for?

Nothin' they say he just likes to cause war

Pride and prejudice and superstition indeed

They wait for this bully like a dog waits to feed

Neighborhood bully

What has he done to wear so many scars?

Does he change the course of rivers?

Does he pollute the moon and stars?

Neighborhood bully standing on the hill

Running out the clock time standing still neighborhood bully”

In Israel, the times they are a-changin’ as always, but one thing remains constant: Bob Dylan keeps going like a rollin’ stone when it comes to loving the place. He’s performing a concert in Tel Aviv this June!

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Speaking of music and bands playing in support of Israel... come to the Salute to Israel Parade and hear the Sesame Flyers Steel Pan Orchestra perform! Though the Sesame Flyers have performed in many public events and have won many steel pan competitions, this will be their very first appearance in the Salute to Israel Parade - don't miss it!

2010-04-25T16:50:00.000-07:00

28 Days

As anyone who has ever taken public transportation in Jerusalem knows, familiarity with the bus map is key to getting around. An earlier post mentioned some of the most useful lines for tourists; one of the most important lines for students is the 28/28a, which takes you to Mt. Scopus to see Israel's first university - the Hebrew University ("Hebrew U").

Hebrew U is quite an impressive institution. Its first Board of Governors included Albert Einstein (a major Zionist and fundraiser for Israel, who was also asked to be Israel's first president), Chaim Weizmann (another brilliant scientist, Zionist, and friend of Einstein, and who actually became Israel's first president), Martin Buber (a great Jewish philosopher) and Sigmund Freud (a psychologist who couldn't get his mind out of the gutter - serious, Dr. Freud, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar...).

Four of Israel's prime ministers are alumni of Hebrew U. Most impressively, in the last decade, six graduates of the University received the Nobel Prize.

Hebrew U is one of the true symbols of Zionist achievement. A Jewish university in the Land of Israel was always one of the goals of forward-thinking Jews of the world, and indeed Einstein was so dedicated to the idea, he left his entire literary estate to the university. The university opened in 1925 to great acclaim, and it has been going strong ever since, with a brief hiatus during the War of Independence.

Some notable faculty:

Robert Aumann, game theorist and 2005 Nobel Prize laureate for Economics, sharing it with Thomas Schelling.

Aharon Barak, Defense Minster Ehud Barak's brother and the former President of the Israeli Supreme Court; an internationally admired jurist.

Martin Buber, great Jewish philosopher and theologian.

Ephraim Halevy, the former Mossad Chief who now comments on politics in the Financial Times.

Yeshayahu Liebowicz, brilliant professor of biochemistry and Jewish Philosophy who is known for his left-wing politics as well as his logical positivism (not usually what you expect from a Jewish philosopher!). He is the brother of the famoous Hebrew Bible scholar Nechama Liebowicz.

Amihai Mazar and Benjamin Mazar, famous archaeoligist who won Israel prizes.

Gershom Scholem, great scholar of Jewish mysticism.

Zeev Sternhell, political scientist and historian.

Amos Tversky, psycholigist who pioneered much of rational-choice theory.

Now, that was just faculty! Conclusion: The Hebrew University is a pretty awesome place. Oh, and did I mention that it houses Israel's biggest library at its Giv'at Ram campus?

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Come to the Parade, text a vote for your favorite float, and you will be entered to win a round-trip ticket to Israel on El Al Israel Airlines! More information coming soon, please keep visiting our website for details....

2010-04-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

29 Days

The 29th of November is a funny date in Israel -- it is the only date on the secular, solar calendar (as opposed to the lunar Hebrew calender) that is commemorated with Hebrew letters. That is, the date is called Kaf Tet (letters equivalent to the number 29 in Hebrew numerology) B'November, instead of the 29th of November -- a practice usually reversed for Hebrew dates, the dates of Jewish festivals and holidays.

That's because Kaf Tet B'November, 1947, the United Nations passed General Assembly Resolution 181, by a vote of 33 to 13, with ten abstentions. The resolution, known as the partition plan, divided the area administrated by the british under the British Mandate for Palestine into a jewish state and an Arab state. The Arabs rejected the plan, but the Jewish Agency Executive accepted, making this the first explicit call for a Jewish state by a UN Resolution. Of course, we know the rest -- British withdrawal, a War of Independence, and an Israel bigger and better than the Jewish Agency Executive had dared to hope for.

Rham Israel Emanuel, President Obama's Chief of Staff, is the son of a Jerusalem born pediatrician and Irgun member. His name last name was actually adopted by the family in honor of his father's brother Emanuel Auerbach, who was killed in Arab- Jewish fighting in Jerusalem. Rahm Emanuel was born on the 29th of November, exactly twelve years after the UN voted for partition of Israel and the creation of a Jewish State.

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Thank you so much Hudson Terrace for hosting our exciting event - "The Largest Falafel in the world" more details to follow...

2010-04-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

30 Days

Israel's contributions to technology are well known. It's no secret that Intel developed its Pentium chips there, that ICQ instant messaging technology was invented by a couple of Israeli Defense Forces guys as a convenient way to communicate between themselves, or that trip irrigation technology developed by Israeli inventor Simcha Blass in 1959 minimizes the amount of water needed to grow crops in even arid climates.

But biotechnology is an area people know less about, even though it may very well be the way of the future, a way to heal the sick, minimize suffering, and unlock untold human potential.

In 1990, Israel had just 30 biotechnology companies employing just 600 employees, but by 2000 there were 160 companies employing more than 4,000 staff. The rate of growth accelerated markedly toward the end of the decade: during 2000, 25 new companies were registered, $238 million was invested privately in biotechnology-based business, and three companies raised $140 million on foreign stock exchanges. This trend has only continued into the present decade.

There is, unsurprisingly, cooperation between America (the world leader in biotechnological research) and Israel (an up-and-comer) in the area of biotechnology. Check out what this Israel 121c.org article had to say about this corporation.

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Any creative recipes for making falafel? Since we told you about our upcoming exciting Largest Falafel in The World" contest we received many requests for a good recipe for Falafel... Please post your recipe if you have a good one!

2010-04-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

31 Days

31 years into its existence, or 31 years ago, the State of Israel signed a peace treaty with its southern neighbor and longtime foe, Egypt. The historic handshake between prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat led to the return of the Sinai Peninsula to Egyptian sovereignty, an end to all belligerency from Egypt, mutual recognition of each country by the other, and fee passage for Israeli ships through the Suez Canal.

The wheel of fortune turned twice that year, however, and 1979 saw the Islamic Revolution of Iran that ousted the Shah and replaced him with the style of government Iran still 'enjoys'. Today, Israeli and Iran are, shall we say, not so friendly.

So it is with politics -- you win some, you lose some. The long arc of history tends towards peace, and some day the Middle East will be no more hostile to Israel than the American Midwest. As the 31 verse of the Torah, and Bible, states: " And the Lord saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good". So why worry?

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Be one of the first ever to ride in the groundbreaking innovation soon to be featured in Israel's eco-friendly battery swap stations - an electric car!! Contest ends on May 3rd. Quick! Hurry and sign up!

2010-04-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

32 Days

Did you know? Israel is currently on it's 32nd government in 64 years! The current government body, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was presented to the Knesset on March 31, 2009 and received the Knesset's approval on March 31, 2009 at 11:15pm with a majority vote of 69 votes in favor and 45 votes against.

Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu, born October 21, 1949, is the first and, to date, only Israeli prime minister born after the State of Israel's foundation. Netanyahu is currently serving his second term as Israel's prime minister - his first term was from 1996-1999. In 1996, the Israeli public quickly lost faith that then Prime Minister Shimon Peres could stop the series of Palestinian terror attacks on Israel's civilian population. Two attacks in particular, those from March 3rd and 4th, 1996, resulted in the deaths of 32 Israelis, and were ultimately the main catalysts in the downfall of Peres and the election of Bibi Netanyahu to his first term.
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The 2010 Salute to Israel Parade is coming up quickly... and we are looking for volunteers to ensure that this year's Parade is successful! If you're interested in helping us on May 23rd, please send an email to parade@salutetoisrael.com.

2010-04-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

33 Days

Israel lies on the 33rd north parallel latitude, a geographical distinction it shares with the stats of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. Israel has many fascinating geographical features. Connecting to the Sinai desert, it serves as a bridge between Africa and Asia. Touching the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea (in Eilat), its easily accesses both Europe and the Indian Ocean. It holds every climate, from the snow-capped Hermon mountain where Israelis go to ski (Israel's highest peak), to the perpetually warm climate of the Dead Sea area and surrounding desert (the lowest point on earth)

The Dead Sea is itself a wonder of the world -- I have personally sat on that water reading a newspaper. The high mineral density makes it extremely buoyant, which ,makes it all but impossible to submerge a person more than partially.

Few places on Earth contain seas, rivers, desert, mountains, ski-able peaks and spa-worthy valleys, in so small a geographic area. It makes for an exciting trip, for anyone willing to get on the plane!

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Today is the day!! Happy Independence Day to Israel!!! יום העצמאות שמח!!!

2010-04-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

34 Days

on January , 2009, the U.S House of Representatives passed House-Resolution "Recognizing Israel's right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza", and expressing "vigorous support and unwavering commitment to the welfare, security, and survival of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure borders".

This resolution passed with an overwhelming majority, a symbol of the strong popular support Israel has always enjoyed in America. The relationship between the west's first true democracy and the Middle East's only one has long been characterized by friendship and mutual support.

Of course, Operation Cast Lead, for which house 34 declared support, was only the latest in a series of battles for Israel's safety. Israel's most dire moment came during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, during which enemy forces attacked on the holiest day of the Jewish calender. If not for an airlift of supplies approved by the Nixon administration, the Jewish state might have been cut in two by Egyptian forces that year. This war, much like the earlier Six Day War, was fought in a Cold War context - with America generally supporting the Jewish democracy, and the Soviet Union generally supporting its Arab enemies. The latter were armed with MIG airplanes and various other Soviet hardware, including the venerable T-34 tank. Captured Syrian T-34's may still be seen at an Israeli war museum, Batey ha-Osef in Tel Aviv.

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Yom Hzikaron is beyond us... TOMORROW NYC will be celebrating Israeli Independence Day... משואה לתקומה they say in Hebrew ... lots of good celebrations are ahead of us! Here is one: Dor Chadash Yom Ha'Atzmaut. Chag Sameach to all!

2010-04-17T21:13:00.000-07:00

35 Days

Its a well-known fact that Israel and America cooperate closely on military matters. That is why the F-35, a new plane build in America, is being sold in large numbers to Israel -- with some important technological input from Israeli engineers, that is.

While on the topic of the Israeli military, the Convoy of 35 is one of the most famous names to come out of War of independence. Streets on Israeli cities are named for the 35-soldier convoy of young soldiers who perished trying to resupply Gush Etzion, a Jewish area under siege during the war. A poem about them the day after the fighting, by Haim Gouri entitled "Here Lie Our Bodies", can be read in Hebrew.

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Yom Hazikaron for the fallen soldiers of Israel will take place on Monday, April 19th. Communities across the country will be reading the names of all those Israelis who have fallen in battle since the founding of the State. The Parade is saluting all those brave soldiers and their families.

2010-04-17T20:44:00.001-07:00

36 Days

Mystical Jewish tradition had it that the world continues to exist only because of 36 hidden righteous people whose identities are concealed, even from one another. Maybe they live in Bahrain...

Confused? well, I was just referring to the 36 Jews of Bahrain profiled by New York Times article last year. Don't worry, they're protected by the government... in fact, all 36 of them are in positions of political power! The ambassador to America from Bahrain can be seen next to George W. Bush in a picture in this story.

Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo, the first Jewish ambassador in the Arab world, and a women too!

Interested in a trip to the Holy Land? Hiking is a national pastime in Israel. A recent publication called Hiking in Israel: 36 of Israel's best Hiking Routs is now available here

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As if our Honorary Grand Marshall Omri Casspi & our Grand Marshall Meshulam Ricklis are not enough, the two will be accompanied by Yuri Foreman the first Israeli fighter to win a world boxing championship!

2010-04-17T20:43:00.001-07:00

37 Days

In the year 37, two intricately related characters were born. One was the Roman Emperor Nero, and one was Josephus Flavius, an early historian crucial to our understanding of Jews during the end of the Second Temple period.

Nero, the fifth and last Emperor from Julius Caesar's dynasty, came to power at the age of 17 (54 CE) and ruled for fourteen more, During his reign, the first Roman-Jewish War was fought (66-70), the one which culminated in the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE under a different Emperor's reign. Nero, not exactly a nice fellow, is remembered for executing his mother and stepbrother, persecuting early Christians, and "fiddling while Rome burned". After a coup ousted him from power, he committed suicide in 68.

Josephus Flavius, or as some might call him, "Benedict Josephus", was a Jewish warrior who switched sides and became an historian of the Jewish wars with Rome. Much of what we know of the last stand of Mesada's Jewish resistance against the Romans comes through him. He is similarly important as the only primary source who writes about the Essenes, a mystical Jewish sect that might have existed if we take his word for it. His book The Jewish War, contains much detail about the destruction of the Second Temple and how events of the war transpired.

But lets leave this post on a hopeful note. Ezekiel 37, the prophecy of the dry bones, is closely related to the two characters above. In it, a confused Ezekiel is shown a valley full of dry bones, and is incredulous that their situation can have any hope of changing. In his vision, however, they grow flesh and begin to walk, and God informs him that his vision is a symbol for the return of the seemingly destroyed nation of Israel to its homeland.

That chapter actually features a verse, "יָבְשׁוּ עַצְמוֹתֵינוּ וְאָבְדָה תִקְוָתֵנוּ", which means "Our nones have dried and our hope is lost". The second phrase is alluded to in Israel's national anthem, Hatikva ("The Hope"), and the line "Our hope is still not lost" (עוד לא אבדה תקוותנו)

Hope for Israel is back and here to stay, 37 day before the Salute to Israel Parade!

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Do you like Falafel? Falafel is a fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas. Falafel is usually served in a pita which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flat bread known as laffa. The falafel balls are topped with salads, pickled vegetables and hot sauce, and drizzled with tahini-based sauces. Yummy! A few days prior to the Parade we will be conducting the Largest Falafel in the World contest. More details to follow!

2010-04-14T07:29:00.000-07:00

38 Days

Getting around Jerusalem by bus is pretty easy. There's a bus to go pretty much anywhere, and until the train under construction begins operating (supposedly this year - governments are governments, even in israel, so there is a reason to be skeptical). Buses are not the only source of reliable public transportation within the city. The 38 line is particularly significant because it travels around the Old City, with stops near the Western Wall, the Old Train Station, Jaffa Road, Jaffa Gate, the Armenian Quarter, Zion Gate and Jewish Quarter.

Another buss tourists in Jerusalem will find helpful, should you not want to pay for a cab, is the 18, which hits the central Bis Station of Jerusalem, the city Center with much of the night life and shopping, Emek Refaim ( a trendy street with numerous restaurants), Malcha Mall, and Machane Yehuda (an eastern-style market or Shuq, first established by Iraqi and Kurdish Jews, which today maintains its traditional layout but sells to clientele of all kinds). It also comes very close to the Old City on one of its stops near the City Center, and along King David Citadel, the YMCA, and the venerable King david Hotel.

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The 2010 Salute to Israel Parade is proud to announce that Omri Casspi - Israel's first NBA basketball player - will be an Honorary Grand Marshall!!! Stay tuned for more exciting news about the Parade's VIP's...

2010-04-13T22:18:00.000-07:00

39 Days

Looking to visit Israel? There is a multitude of luxury hotels, medium hotels, cheap hotels, hostels and holes-in-the-wall available to house any tourist or visitor. Among them is the Dan Panorama in Jerusalem, on 39 Keren HaYesod Street. One of Jerusalem's tallest structures, the Dan Panorama features a rooftop pool with a great view of the city, in particular the Old City.

Jerusalem isn't the only city in Israel with hotels, of course. In Tel Aviv, a boutique hotel called Dizengoff Suites can be found at 39 Gordon Street, off the corner of Tel Aviv's trendy Dizengoff Street. This is just one from among dozens and dozens of other options, again ranging from some of the most luxurious in the Middle East to the more typically affordable accommodations.

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Announcing the Grand Marshall at the 2010 Salute to Israel Parade - Meshulam Ricklis! Though born in Istanbul, Turkey, Meshulam spent his formative years in Tel Aviv. Since he moved to the United States in 1947, Meshulam has been an ardent and staunch supporter of Israel.

2010-04-13T16:31:00.000-07:00

40 Days

The Hebrew Bible attaches a certain significance to the number 40. for 40 days and forty nights, the deluge rained upon the earth while Noah weathered the storm in his ark. For 40 days and forty nights, Moses stood on Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. For 40 years, King David reigned over Israel, as did his son King Solomon. And it was 40 years, also, that Atniel son of Kenaz, the first of the Judges or Chieftains, presided over a peaceful Israel.

And one of the most meaningful biblical passages to a lover of Israel today is from Isaiah, Chapter 40 - a prophecy of comfort to the Israelites, and one which promises a return to Israel for the Jewish people.

The Hebrew Bible (as well as the Christian New Testament) once had no chapters. It was Archbishop of Canterbury Stephen Langton (1150-1228) who divided the Bible into chapters that Jews and Christians alike use today (with minor discrepencies). He also, interestingly, was one of the main figures of the dispute that eventually led to King John's signature of the Magna Carta - one of the foundational documents of western democracy today. Not bad for a life's work! In this regard, Israel owes Archbishop Langton two debts: one of church (or synagogue, anyway) and one of state.

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Congratulations to our Poster Contest Winner - Matthew Hoenig, Grade 6, from the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway! To see Matthew's winning design, click here. And we appreciate the efforts of all of the students who entered our Poster Design Contest - your designs were truly incredible.

2010-04-11T18:35:00.000-07:00

41 Days

41 years ago, in the Negev city of Be'ersheva in 1969, Israel built a modern marvel: a university in the desert. Ben Gurion University, or "The University of the Negev," is named or David Ben-Gurion, the first Israeli Prime Minister. He loved the Negev desert, and actually lived the last years of his life on a kibbutz called Sde Boker in the arid souther region of his country. Making the desert bloom was his greatest pride. The university's faculty include such illustrious names as Israeli novelist and peace activist Amos Oz and historian Benny Morris.

One of the fastest growing universities in Israel, Ben Gurion University currently has 17,400 matriculating students. Through cooperation in fields such as agriculture, desertification and irrigation, the university has issued a mandate to develop a sound peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

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Though David Ben Gurion never attended the Salute to Israel Parade, many prominent Israeli government offiicals have participated over the years, including current Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, former Minister of Industry and Tradey, Natan Sharansky and former Minister of Education Limor Livnat.

2010-04-11T17:26:00.000-07:00

42 Days

Did you know... Israel has 42 wine varietals? Israeli wine is produced by hundreds of wineries, which range in size from small boutique wineries to large companies that produce over ten million bottles per year. In 2009, Israel exported over $22 million of wine. And in experts predict that roughly $30 million will be exported in 2010!

The modern Israeli wine industry was founded by Baron Edmond James de Rothschild, who owned the Bordeaux estate Chateau Lafite-Rothschild. Winemaking in Israel takes place in five geographic regions - the Galil/Golan Heights, the Judean Hills, the Shimshon region, the Negev (where drip irrigation makes grape-growing possible) and the Sharon plain. The Sharon region is the largest grape-growing region in Israel and contains two if Israel's largest wineries - Zichron Ya'akov and Binyamina.

In 2007, world-renowned wine critic Robert Parker, in his bi-monthly wine publication "The Wine Advocate", awarded 14 Israeli wines its highest rating of "outstanding."

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Come see the giant 16-foot Kosher.com shopping cart in the 2010 Parade! If you're looking for delicious kosher foods to compliment your Israeli wines, Kosher.com is a great way to get fresh, kosher products delivered directly to your front door.... To learn more about Kosher.com and other Parade sponsors, click here.

2010-04-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

43 Days

On Thursday, September 25th, 2008, Paul McCartney performed his first concert in Tel-Aviv after a 43-year ban on the Beatles performing in Israel. In 1965, The Beatles were turned away by Israel's education minister at the time, David Zarzevski, who thought the band's music might corrupt the minds of Israeli youth. But in 2008, Israel's ambassador to Britain sent letters of apology to McCartney and drummer Ringo Starr, as well as to the families of John Lennon and George Harrison, and invited Paul and Ringo to participate in Israel's 60th anniversary celebrations. More than 40,000 Israelis attended the concert in Park HaYarkon, where McCartney played a variety of Beatles classics, including "Yesterday", "Back in the USSR" and "Hey Jude".

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New Parade route - Please join us on Sunday, May 23rd on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue between 57th to 74th Streets from 11AM to 4PM for a day of fun and celebration!

2010-04-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

44 Days

Jews have always been the people of the book, and the establishment of Israel only strengthened this identity. 44 years ago, Shmuel Yosef Agnon, whose house may be visited in Talpiot, Jerusalem, shared the Nobel Prize in Literature with German Jewish author Nelly Sachs. Writers such as Hayim Nahman Bialik and his literary descendants Jacob Steinberg and Jacob Fichman helped plant the seeds of literature and poetry into the soil of the Jewish State. Today, the works of such Israeli writers as Amos Oz, David Grossman, A.B. Yehoshua and Naomi Ragen are translated and read around the world.

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The 2010 Parade will feature the theme: "Lights... Camera... Action... Israel!", and while highlight the many and varied accomplishments of our brothers and sisters in Israel (including, but not limited to, Israel's Nobel Prize winners). So please join us on Fifth Avenue on Sunday, May 23rd as we salute Israel and her achievements together!

2010-04-09T09:52:00.000-07:00

45 Days

In the ascendant field of alternative and green technologies, Israel marches at the head of the pack. By the end of this year, Israel will be the first country on the plant to host a national electric car 45 megawatt solar array in Moshav Sde Tzvi network, and by 2015, one third of the cars on Israel's roads will be fully electric. Another area of green tech in which Israel serves as a "Light unto the Nations" (literally) is solar power. This past January, constructionstarted in the Negev. Once completed, the plant will create 45 million watts of clean, cheap energy.

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As mentioned in prior posts, this year we held a poster design contests between our participating schools. We have received beautiful designs and our finalist are posted on our website. Way will be announcing the winner this Sunday, so stay tune and keep checking in for the winning entry!

2010-04-06T21:46:00.000-07:00

46 Days

The first Salute to Israel Parade, which took place in 1964, will see its 46th anniversary this year. Here's a clip from last year's Parade: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5QZxF6OQ. The Salute to Israel Parade has continued year in and year out as the largest annual gathering in celebration of Israel in the world. Be a part of it this May 23rd!

While reading the Phnom Penh Post as usual this weekend, we discovered that Israel and Cambodia increased bilateral trade by 46 percent in 2009. Israel exports water management and agricultural technologies, as well as some security and telecommunications. The mail import from Cambodia is rice (quite useful, now that sushi has finally caught on in Jerusalem!).

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Israel is known not only for its agricultural innovations, but also for its advancement of ecological technologies and its concern for the environment. Israel will soon be launching its eco-friendly battery-swap stations, and the electric car to be featured in his program will be riding up Fifth Avenue at the Parade! Enter for a change to ride in the car up Fifth Avenue - and be one of the first ever to ride in this world-renowned, groundbreaking invention. For more information and to enter the contest, click here.

2010-04-06T21:12:00.000-07:00

47 Days

The twenty-ninth of November is a strange date in Israel. It's the only secular date that is referred to with Hebrew letters - "Kaf Tet B'November," the call it, rather than November 29th. The reason for this is that November 29th is the date of the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine of 1947 (Resolution 181). This plan recognized the need for a home for Jews in Israel while also giving about half of the British Mandate for Palestine to Arabs. The Zionists accepted the resolution, while the Arabs did not. This resolution laid the foundation for the modern State of Israel whose independence was declared just six months later.

Alright, enough history for a while.

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You don't have to be from the Tri-State area to participate in the Salute to Israel Parade - groups from Los Angeles, CA, Baltimore, MD and Columbus, OH will be participating in the 2010 Parade! If you're interested in bringing a group from afar to the 2010 Parade, we'd be happy to help you arrange your participation. Please contact us for more information....

2010-04-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

48 Days

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZDSBF5xtoo

Above, you are linked to a video with English subtitles filmed on May 14, 1948. David Ben-Gurion, the Einstein-looking fellow speaking with the dramatic voice, is declaring the Independent State of Israel, a homeland for the Jewish people for the first time in two thousand years.

Think about that for a second. Two thousand years. Empires have risen and collapsed between the exile of the Jews from their land by the Romans and the establishment of the Jewish State. Three continents have been discovered during those two millienia (with Jews now living in all of them). The piece of land called "Israel" changed hands from Rome to the Byzantines, Arabs, Seljuks, Crusaders, Ottomans, British and a few other prominent empires, all of them today of faded relevance or diminished significance.

America was born in 1776. This great country is almost 234 years old. Eight American histories could have occurred between the exile of the Jews from their land in 70 AD and their return in 1948. The soil of Israel, though dry, is very, very deep, and Jewish roots drink from the very bottom of that soil. After watching the YouTube video, you may be struck by a need to listen to Hatikvah, which played in that room with the conclusion of Ben Gurion's speech (performed by the Palestine Philharmonic Orchestra, soon to be renamed Israel Philharmonic Orchestra). Well, then here's another link for you - feel free to sing along!

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In honor of the 62nd anniversary of the State of Israel, we're trying to find 62 shofar blowers to proceed up Fifth Avenue and announce the beginning of the Parade! If you blow the shofar and are interested in participating in this momentous moment, please email us at: parade@salutetoisrael.com or call 646-467-8030 ext. 488. Thanks!

2010-04-04T00:39:00.000-07:00

49 Days

When one thinks of traveling to Israel, El Al is the airline one usually calls. The iconic blue and white eagles carry people from all over the world to the Holy Land and back.

It was 49 years ago, in 1961, that El Al, in the pioneering spirit of the State of Israel, set the world record for longest non-stop commercial flight. Covering 5,760 miles, the plane took off in New York City and landed in Tel Aviv nine and a half hours later. Not bad for a thirteen-year-old country! Must have been some Bar Mitzvah celebration :)

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Every year, tens of El Al pilots and flight attendants dance and sing up Fifth Avenue on Parade Day, and this year will be no exception... so come celebrate Israel's many accomplishments with El Al and the rest of the Parade on Sunday, May 23rd!

2010-04-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

50 Days

It shouldn't shock anyone that the Jewish State is a leader in medical innovation - the country is populated by Jewish mothers, so of course the market is saturated with Jewish doctors! Israel has 50 certified dialysis centers, so every major city and tourist attraction in Israel has at least one nearby. Shemer Medical Center, an Israeli "medical tourism provider" (their description), actually coordinates these centers to accommodate the travel itineraries of patients who want to enjoy a tour of the country. Pretty cool.

For those of us with excellent kidneys, there's still more exciting science and technology to read about. Israel's largest airport, Ben Gurion International Airport, is planning a 50-kilowatt solar project that will help power the airport. It's part of Israel's ambitious goal to derive 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources by the year 2020. Construction starts this year, and the project is expected to earn the airport $100,000 a year on extra energy sold back to Israel's electric company. Should it prove successful, the next logical location will beat Eilat's sweltering airport in the very south of the country.

In Jewish tradition, every 50 years is the Jubilee. In days of old, all debts were cancelled, all slaves went free, and farmers were given a vacation from farming. Israel had its first "Jubilee" in 1998. It generated a different sort of excitement... we can't say we saw any slaves go free, but the fireworks were excellent :)

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Enter for a chance to ride up Fifth Avenue on Parade Day in the electric car that will soon be featured in Israel's eco-friendly battery-swap stations! Be one of the first ever to ride in this world-renowned, ground-breaking invention. For more information and to enter the contest, click here.

2010-04-03T23:25:00.000-07:00

51 Days

Anyone hungry? Food post!

Here are a few of your Israeli options. Israel's cuisine is, of course, as diverse as its population. You can enjoy the regional cuisine, like falafel and hummus, as well as the cuisine of every group of Jewish olim (immigrants), including Morrocan fish, Hungarian ghoulash, Ethiopian restaurants, and so on. And then you have Chinese food - were you expecting otherwise? Here are some choice listings from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, with their numbers and addresses:

Mezze
51 Ahad Ha'am Street
03-629-9753
Tel Aviv
(Not open on Shabbat)

Iraqi Bakery
51 Kaplan Street
Tel Aviv (Or Yehuda)
03-533-8299

Joz ve Loz
51 Yehuda Ha'Levi Street
Tel Aviv
03-560-6385

Ha'Pizza
51 Bugrashov Street
Tel Aviv
03-528-1077

Armadillo
Popular spot for drinks and Georgian snacks
51 Ehad Ha'am
Tel Aviv
03-620-5503

Falafel Ha'ahim Levi
Machane Yehuda 51
Mahane Yehuda Market
Jerusalem

Sushi Bar Rehavia
Japanese Bar/Restaurant Take-Away ("To Go")
51 Hapalmach Street
Jerusalem
02-567-1791

American Pie Pizza
51 Derech Beit Lechem, Baka
Jerusalem
02-672-9849

B'Teavon - Enjoy!

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In the week leading up to the Parade, five NYC restaurants will compete to see which can make the largest falafel ball! To determine the winning falafel, the falafel entries will be measured in circumference as well as weighed on a produce scale. For more information on the upcoming contest, keep visiting our website: www.salutetoisrael.com.

2010-04-01T20:26:00.001-07:00

52 Days

Israel, known as historical homeland of the Jewish people, has welcomed Jews from all corners of the earth who hope to find a better life in the Jewish State. Operations Moses, Joshua and Solomon brought en masse the Beta Israe l, or the Ethiopian Jews. One memorable program brought in Iraqi Jews in 2003, 52 years after most Jews left Iraq and the doors close due to political tensions in the Middle East. The first direct flight from Iraq to Israel took off in Baghdad on July 27, 2003 and landed at Ben Gurion Airport. The program helped make broken families whole once again in the land of Israel.
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New marching band in the 2010 Parade - the Westchester Brassmen! Founded in 1984, this incredible band has been performing in parades for nearly 26 years! The band averages 30-35 members in the horn section, 15-20 members in the drum section and 7 members in the Honor Guard. For more information and pictures, click here.

2010-04-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

53 Days

We all know that Israel can get pretty hot in the summer, but just how hot was answered in 1942 when Kibbutz Tirat Tzvi posted a temperature of 53 degrees Celsius! That's 129 degrees to us in the United States! Better pack some water when heading to Ein Gedi for a hike.... Though these temperatures may seem inhospitable to productive farming cycles, Israeli-made innovations such as drip irrigation make it possible for all those juicy Israeli fruits to grow.

Did we mention that the record temperature in Tirat Tzvi was the highest temperature recorded in the Middle East? Kinda scary, when you remember that Tirat Tzvi is today teh largest kibbutz source of meat for Israelis. Hope they've got a decent freezer!

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The 2010 Salute to Israel Parade will celebrate, among other things, the 100th anniversary of the kibbutz movement in Israel. The Jordan Valley Women's Marching Team, a group of 20-25 women from kibbutzim in Israel, is flying into New York to participate in the Parade and to mark this important centennial year! For more information on the Jordan Women's Marching Team and other groups participating in the 2010 Parade, click here.

2010-04-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

54 Days

George Frideric Handel wrote some pretty famous oratorios in is day, like the "Messiah" and "Judas Maccabaeus." the 54th composition in his catalogue, HWV 54, is called "Israel in Egypt." It tells of the Exodus, the process by which God first delivered the Jewish people from Egypt to the land of Israel according to the Bible.

You can hear this piece performed by the Collegiate Chorale shortly before the Parade on May 12th, at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts at New York University. Interestingly, in July 2008, this same Chorale toured with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa.

Fun fact: Israel has more violinists per capita than any other country in the world. Surely anyone still reading this post has heard of Itzhak Perlman (if for no other reason than that he performed the haunting violin theme of "Schindler's List")... and perhaps you've heard of world-class Israeli violinist Gil Shaham as well?

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Itzhak Perlman was the Grand Marshall of the Salute to Israel Parade in 2002. Who will the Grand Marshall be at the 2010 Salute to Israel Parade? Keep checking our website for the announcement: www.salutetoisrael.com.

2010-04-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

55 Days

"Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem 55 years." So says Kings 2, 21:1. Manasseh was the first Jewish king of the Kingdom of Judah. He had no experience with the united Israelite kingdom, because the King of Assyria had exiled 10 of the Israelite tribes before his reign. One wonders what Manasseh would have thought if he could see a united, democratic Israel today, with Assyrians and Babylonians, Persians and Ancient Egyptians long in the past.

On a less ancient note, an article written in 2004 about disproportionate Jewish achievement tells us that, of the 55 Nobel Prizes awarded in Economics through that year, 21 went to Jews (that's 38 percent!). And, as I recall, Hebrew University professor and religious Zionist Robert Aumann shared the prize the following year with Thomas Schelling for their work in developing the field of game theory.

Israel's Bar Ilan University (BIU) was established 55 years ago in 1955. BIU, in Ramat-Gan, is now Israel's second largest academic institution, with 26,800 students and 1,350 faculty members. The University's stated goal is, "to blend tradition with modern technologies and scholarship, and teach the compelling ethics of Jewish heritage to all... to synthesize the ancient and the modern, the sacred and the material, the spiritual and the scientific." Sounds like a plan to us!

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Omri Casspi, first Israeli NBA basketball player, to be an Honorary Grand Marshall in the 2010 Salute to Israel Parade! Come see him ride up Fifth Avenue - you can't miss him, as he's 6'8" tall! Omri was drafted 23rd overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2009 NBA Draft. For mde up Fifth Avenue on Parade Day - for more information on Omri, click here.

2010-03-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

56 Days

Every Zionist bookshelf should include a thick tome called "O Jerusalem" by Larry Collins and Dominique LaPierre. Chapter 1, describing the birth of the State of Israel begins as follows:

"In the afternoon of Saturday, November 29th, 1947, in a cavernous gray building that had once housed an ice-skating rink, in Flushing Meadow, New York, the delegates of 56 of the fifty-seven members of the General Assembly of the United Nations were called upon to decide the future of a sliver of land set on the eastern rim of the Mediterranean."

Seeing as how Israel is a country with more chess grandmasters per capita than any other country in the world apart from tiny Iceland (Israel is tied with Armenia), we thought a chess-related post might be in order....

Fun fact: Be'er Sheva (population = 186,000), with its eight grandmasters, has more chess grandmasters per capita than any other city in the world! George Koltanowski, one of the greatest chess promotors of all time, has a blind chess (players play blindfolded) record of 56 simultaneous games - he won fifty of them after almost ten hours of play. Koltanowski, who used to play in Coney Island, Brooklyn, with such interesting fellows as the actor Humphrey Bogart, wound up in America by fortunate circumstances: a Jew, he was saved from the Holocaust because he happened to be playing a World Tournament in Buenos Aires when the war broke out and he didn't return to Europe. Another famous Jewish grandmaster, Mikhael Najdorf (who set the blind chess record before him, with forty-five games in 1947), also escaped the Holocaust by playing in the same tournament.

New marching band to appear in the 2010 Parade - the Washington Showstoppers from Washington, DC! To watch the band in action, click here.

2010-03-28T11:32:00.000-07:00

57 Days

According to Biblical calculations, the creation of the world occurred 57 centuries ago. There are many who believe that Jerusalem was the first land created in Genesis. The Garden of Eden is believed, however, to be somewhere in modern-day Iraq - go figure!!

From the perspective of a fun-seeking traveler, the only conclusion to draw is this: Israel in the summer = present day Garden of Eden. At least, we know where we'd rather hang out in the Jewish year 5770!

Interestingly, the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, approved on November 29, 1947, was to give 57 percent of Palestine under the British mandate to the Jews.
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Yuri Foreman, Israeli Light middleweight boxer and current World Boxing Association super welterweight champion, will be riding up Fifth Avenue at the 2010 Parade! Click here for more information on Yuri....

2010-03-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

58 Days

Israelis sure know how to party! Tel Aviv’s “Allenby 58” has been rated one of Europe’s 10 best nightclubs (I know what you’re thinking, but we’re gonna ignore geography today). Global Hangover Guide informs us that "...the club has the best Israeli DJs, and occasionally hosts some of the best European ones. It is know for its female bartenders, who tend to be up-and-coming models."

Maybe you're the studious type, and clubbing isn't your cup of tea. In that case, you may be pleased to learn that the Hebrew University in Jerusalem is ranked 58th worldwide in both Natural Sciences and Social Sciences among QS World University Rankings for 2009. Not too Shabby!

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The Salute to Israel Parade is back to 11AM to 4PM! After much deliberation, we have decided to move the time for the Parade back to our usual hours. We are looking forward to seeing you bright and early on Sunday, May 23rd!