Participants at the Celebrate Israel Parade holding “Kiss” the dog. Photo: provided.

Last Sunday, tens of thousands of people marched side-by-side up the middle of Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, showing their solidarity with Israel.

“Together Again” was the theme of this year’s Celebrate Israel Parade, which highlights the coming together of Israeli and American Jews. It was the first time the event took place since the outbreak of COVID-19.

Among the marchers were New York City Mayor Eric Adams; the Israeli Consul General in New York, Asaf Zamir; Israel’s UN Ambassador, Gilad Erdan; Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz; New York Governor Kathy Hochul; and other politicians such as US Reps. Ritchie Torres and Carolyn Maloney.

During the parade, Mayor Adams shared his support for Israel and the Jewish community, publicly stating that “New York is the Tel Aviv of America. We have the largest Jewish population outside of Israel here.”

With the uptick in hate crimes in New York, Mayor Adams’ presence sent an important signal that he takes antisemitic attacks on Jews and Israelis seriously.

The event was organized by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, and other Jewish groups; Harley Lippman served as the Grand Marshal of this year’s parade. He stated, “Every year, we’re reminded that magic happened. Israel came back as a nation, [and] we’re happy to be reunited with our past … and celebrate all the good energy and things that come with Israel.”

To support the celebration, the Israeli American Council (IAC) asked me to join their group with my tea-cup Pomeranian dog, Kiss, who has been affectionately coined “The Hebrew’s National Dog.” Among the people we met was Ariela Rozentul, 14, one of the stars of “My Hebrewland,” a pro-Israel television show that I created. She marched with the Yeshivat He’Atid school, and told me afterwards, “I am so proud and grateful to be a part of this joyful parade. Israel is my second home and I’m always proud to support it.”

Ayelet Raymond is a film and musical director who lives in New York City. She collaborated with young Broadway performers to create the American children’s television show “My Hebrewland.” She is the creative force behind the Kosher Barbie character and social media personality.