The Empire State Building will turn blue and white in honor of the Jewish state on Sunday, June 5, putting on a dazzling light display in time for the 2016 Celebrate Israel Parade in New York City. Tens of thousands of marchers, marching bands, floats, and hundreds of thousands of onlookers are to take part in the annual celebration of Israel as it marches up Fifth Avenue. The event is managed by the UJA-Federation of New York, the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of New York, and the Consulate General of Israel in New York.

This year marks the 52nd anniversary of the parade, which has grown dramatically in size since being launched in 1965. Notable names in the parade include TV host Kathie Lee Gifford who will lead the parade as honorary grand marshal, Israeli-born entrepreneur specializing in outdoor advertising Moshe Gil who will serve as grand marshal, and Ambassador Ido Aharoni who is the Consul General of Israel in New York. FULL REPORT


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