The Annual Jerusalem International Parade 2015

The Annual Jerusalem International Parade: every year in October

What other city in the world has an international parade, with people from all over the world coming to celebrate it, to show love and support for it? Is there a New York Parade with New York loving people coming yearly from all over the world, singing its praise? Or a Berlin Parade? Perhaps a London Parade? No. The Jerusalem International Parade is the only parade in the world to which Israel loving people from all over the world come to show their love and support to this nation.

Watching this parade makes one feel as if it is a scene taken from Isaiah’s End-Time Vision: 

“And it shall come to pass in the end of days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established as the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many peoples shall go and say: 'Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:2-3).
Other prophetic verses come to mind too: "Many peoples and mighty nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favour of the Lord. Thus said the Lord of hosts: in those days it shall come to pass that ten men out of all the languages of the nations shall even take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying: We will go with you, for we have heard that G-d is with you" (Zecharia 8:22-23).  "And it shall come to pass that every one that is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles" (Zecharia 14:16). 

It happens every year during the Jewish holiday of Succot (tabernacles). The streets of Jerusalem fill-up with tens of thousands of people of all colors, nations and tongues, gathered in the city for the Annual Jerusalem Parade. This year we had around 50,000 people who came from all four corners of the world especially for this parade. Grouped according to their nationality, they paraded the streets of Jerusalem under their countries’ flags, wearing shirts with printed slogans such as “thy people shall be my people, and thy G-d my G-d" (Ruth 1:16), singing songs of love of Jerusalem and of Israel, and voicing their emotional support vocally and enthusiastically.

It was a colorful procession. Flags of great many countries were flown up high coloring the streets of Jerusalem with myriad colors and patterns. They came from countries as far away as Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, China, South Korea, South Africa, Kongo, South Africa, the Philippines, Brazil, Norway, Finland, Britain, Switzerland, Holland, Argentina, Bolivia, Panama, Canada, the USA and many many more, including a group from EGYPT! Their flags were waved up high and were then given gladly as souvenirs to the Israeli crowds that were standing on the sidelines, cheering with gratitude. Local children collecting dozens of mini flags were seen everywhere excited at the festive international atmosphere and at the handful of exotic colorful souvenirs they were receiving. To the onlooker it seemed as though this extremely varied crowd is united by one emotion: infallible love strengthened by unshakable faith.

Not only tourists from abroad participated in the Parade. Groups of Israelis from different parts of the country, from different walks of life, participated too and enjoyed a day of good sports and high spirit, a day of visiting their capital city and showing their love and support for it and for its residents. Many of them were reserve soldiers of different IDF units; others were from big companies (such as Israel’s Electricity Company), different banks, the Israeli motorcyclists club, police units.

One of the groups that caught my attention most the first time I watched this parade, as I was standing on the roadside, cheering the paraders along with the crowds, was a group of a few dozen young soldiers dressed in the IDF olive colored uniform, belonging to the Nativ Course of the Jewish Agency and the IDF education corps. This course enables those soldiers who are not Jewish by Halachic (Jewish) Law, to study and learn topics related to Jewish law, to convert to Judaism in the framework of their military service and become Israeli Jews. It was moving to see those young men and women parading proudly in the IDF uniforms and stating their loyalty to this people and to this land.

The Parade itself has a few different courses: a family oriented one and longer ones. The paraders who choose the longer course enjoy a walking tour of the city enlisting a varied assortment of sites laden with historical meaning. Among them throughout the years were the following famous sites:

·        The Ammunition Hill on the northern part of town, a site of an important battle during the 1967 Six Day War, serving today as a memorial site.

·        Mt. Scopus, where one of the campuses of the Hebrew University is located, as well as the Hadassah Mt. Scopus Hospital.  This area was under Jordanian rule until the 1967 war (after Jordan captured it on 1948).

·        The Tzurim Valley National Park at the foothills of Mt. Olives, where a lot of archaeological findings have been found dating as back as the First Temple period.

·        The Valley of Hinnom, where it is said that in ancient times people sacrificed their children to the pagan god Molech.

·        The Sultan’s pool, a dry water reservoir constructed in the 16^th century by an Ottoman sultan. It serves today as an arena for musical performances, among other things.

·        Mishkenot Sh’ananim, the first Jewish neighborhood built outside the walls of the old city of Jerusalem in the 19^th century. It is a charming neighborhood overlooking the old city.

·        Talabiyeh, one of the most prestigious residential neighborhoods in town hosting the formal presidential and the formal prime minister’s residence.

·        Rehavia, a neighborhood designed by the Jewish German architect Richard Kauffman in the spirit of the garden city movement.

·        The Valley of the Cross, where the Monastery of the Cross is situated. According to Christian tradition, in that monastery grew the tree from which the Romans made the cross on which Jesus was crucified.

·        And finally, the Sacher Park, a green lung in the midst of Jerusalem, overlooking the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament. In this park a big happening for all the paraders takes place, with different games and attractions for kids and adults alike. It is a chance for everyone to rest, have a picnic in nature and prepare for the final part of the parade. During that rest time there are different artistic performances to entertain the paraders and the crowd.

After the Sacher Park happening and after enjoying some rest, all participants walked in groups one after the other in a ceremonious parade to the final point of the Jerusalem International Parade. Thousands of locals gathered at the sides of the road, supporting and encouraging the paraders.

As they approach the finish line, the announcer announced ceremoniously each of the many groups that approached the line, which in turn received enthusiastic applause from the crowds gathered at the sides. Hugs given, photographs taken, small flags and other souvenirs given as good will gestures to the locals on the sides, all make the whole parade feel like a very festive and exciting event, a special event, an event that one doesn’t get to experience every day.

Here is a short video showing a glimpse of the parade this year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KcH-L8XKDc

Jews all over the world used to pray for two millennia during exile L’shanah Haba’ah B’Yerushalayim, for next year in Jerusalem. So let all of us lovers of Jerusalem pray for next year in Jerusalem, and may it be on the next Annual Jerusalem International Parade on October 2016.