Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, the Jewish National Fund, will be allocating $100,000 to support New York City’s Israel parade for the first time.
The annual parade, known as Israel Day on Fifth, will take place on Sunday with the theme “Hatikvah,” the name of Israel’s national anthem, which means “the hope.” The parade is expected to draw tens of thousands of marchers — many of them Jewish day school students — and thousands of spectators in Manhattan. KKL-JNF billed it as the “largest global gathering in support of Israel.”
The allocation by KKL-JNF underscores an effort to strengthen bonds between Israeli and American Jews, the group said. It said it recently allocated roughly $8.5 million to a program to bring students from the Diaspora to Israel, and another approximately $2.8 million to combat antisemitism on college campuses.
“It’s a special honor for KKL to support this strong statement. As Jews outside of Israel stand with us, we need to stand with them and support them as they face unprecedented antisemitism,” said David Yaari, the vice chairman of KKL, in a statement.
Last year, the parade traded in the title “Celebrate Israel Parade” and renamed itself “Israel Day on Fifth” to call for the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. This year, hundreds of NYPD officers will guard the event.
A KKL-JNF delegation will march in the parade, along with other politicians and public figures.
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