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Marchers and demonstrators wave Israel’s flag at New York’s Celebrate Israel parade
(New York Jewish Week) — Tens of thousands of marchers participated in Sunday’s Celebrate Israel parade, with school groups, synagogues and nonprofits waving Israeli flags honoring the country’s 75th birthday — and demonstrators urging the Netanyahu government to reject a judicial overhaul plan they consider anti-democratic.
Members of the group UnXeptable, made up largely of Israeli expats who oppose the judicial reform plans, joined a delegation from Ameinu, the former Labor Zionist Alliance, during the largely upbeat march along Fifth Avenue. At least five members of Israel’s governing coalition — including Member of Knesset Simcha Rothman, an architect of the judicial overhaul — took part in the parade.
Keep scrolling for some highlights of the day.
Humans of Judaism paid tribute to parade founder Ted Comet, 99, who began the New York City parade to celebrate Israel in 1965. (@HumansOfJudaism)
Ted Comet was born in Cleveland, Ohio on May 24, 1924. He moved to New York City in 1946 and in 1965 he founded the first parade to celebrate Israel. The parade has since grown to be one of the worlds largest gatherings in support of Israel. Today in New York, at 99 years old,… pic.twitter.com/nzk4MBbmJ7
— Humans of Judaism (@HumansOfJudaism) June 4, 2023
Mayor Eric Adams @NYCMayor gave some remarks — and posted these great shots of spectators along Fifth Ave. (@NYCMayor)
I’m so proud to be mayor of the city with the largest Jewish population anywhere outside of Israel — and even prouder to march side by side our Jewish community in today’s #CelebrateIsrael parade. pic.twitter.com/QVp4AKBTKW
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) June 4, 2023
Nefesh B’Nefesh, the organization that helps Jews move to Israel, brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm. (Philissa Cramer)
A delegation from the Hebrew Public charter school network — whose Harlem outpost is set to close at the end of the school year — joined the throng marching up Fifth Ave. (Philissa Cramer)
As most years, a large contingent of marchers represented various Jewish day schools and yeshivas from the area. (@AdamMilstein)
Thousands of supporters of Israel marching NOW in the annual @CelebrateIsrael parade in New York!
— Adam Milstein (@AdamMilstein) June 4, 2023
Unlike most years, however, this year many demonstrators turned out to speak out against the Netanyahu government’s proposed judicial overhaul. Here, Times of Israel reporter Luke Tress captures people heckling Rothman, who grabbed a megaphone from a protestor in Midtown on Friday. (@luketress)
MK Rothman is heckled by protesters at the Israel Parade in New York pic.twitter.com/fBslWoJLWG
— Luke Tress (@luketress) June 4, 2023
With some 1,000 participants, Ameinu was one of the biggest blocs of the parade. This was the first time in a dozen years that the group marched in the parade, and they came with a strong message for Israel’s right-wing government. They were joined by Rep. Jerry Nadler, the Upper West Side Democrat.
We’re on our way! Thank you @RepJerryNadler for standing with Israeli democracy pic.twitter.com/TwCwahzWF4
— Ameinu (@AmeinuUSA) June 4, 2023
The group unfurled a large poster while marching up Fifth Ave. (@drill_josh)
Activists unfurl NYC Israel Democracy during the Israel day parade pic.twitter.com/kAz3tCNMpF
— Josh Drill (@drill_josh) June 4, 2023
The Forward’s senior political reporter captured this viral photo of Israel’s Diaspora Minister, Amichai Chikli, seemingly flipping the bird to pro-democracy demonstrators. In response to backlash online, Chikli said he was simply telling the protestors to smile. (@jacobkornbluh)
.@AmichaiChikli to the pro-democracy protesters across the barriers pic.twitter.com/g69jsXOf58
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) June 4, 2023
The legendary Dr. Ruth Westheimer celebrated her 95th birthday at the parade. (@CelebrateIsrael)
@AskDrRuth celebrates her 95th birthday and Israel’s 75th!! pic.twitter.com/aYrPTWMRm1
— JCRC-NY Celebrate Israel Parade (@CelebrateIsrael) June 4, 2023
The parade’s organizers, the Jewish Community Relations Council-NY, livestreamed the event — you can watch the whole thing here:
—
The post Marchers and demonstrators wave Israel’s flag at New York’s Celebrate Israel parade appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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NELLA MARGRITHE ESKIN NOVEMBER 14, 1946 – AUGUST 27, 2025
It is with great sorrow that the Eskin family reports the passing of Nella Margrithe Eskin, beloved wife and devoted partner of Michael Eskin, on August 27, 2025.
Nella, the only child of the late Kasiel and Rosa Kessler, Holocaust survivors, was born in a displaced persons camp in Fohrenwald, Germany, in 1946. The family first moved to Baltimore as refugees in 1949 before settling in Chicago, where Nella graduated from Roosevelt University with Bachelor of Science degree.
In 1969, she met Michael, and three months later they were married in Chicago in March 1970. They shared a wonderful marriage of over 55 years, during which they raised a family of four boys and created a home that was always full of song, food, guests and Yiddishkeit. Sadly, their eldest son, Katriel, passed away in 2015. Nella is survived by her other three sons, Josh, Ezra and Daniel, and their families as well as Katriel’s wife and family. She was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother to her husband, sons, and ten grandchildren, and a loving daughter to her mother, Rosa, who passed away in 2020.
A lifelong scholar, she earned an MBA from the University of Manitoba in 1995. Nella was a very pious and learned woman who was also a wonderful artist, music lover, gardener and cook. She passed her love of music, art, storytelling and learning to her children, teaching each of them piano and instilling in them an enduring appreciation for the arts that continues to this day. She was an incredibly warm woman and made every gathering feel special, every guest feel valued, and every meal feel like a celebration of love and friendship.
She will be sorely missed by her husband, children, grandchildren, relatives in the UK, USA, Australia, and Israel, and many dear friends. Her kindness, curiosity, and love will live on in the many lives she touched. May her memory be
a blessing.
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VIDEO: Moishele Alfonso on the new book of I. L. Peretz stories for students
לכּבֿוד דער פּובליקאַציע פֿונעם ביכל „אויפֿן װעג: זיבן דערציילונגען פֿון י.־ל. פּרץ“ — אַ זאַמלונג ספּעציעל געמאַכט פֿאַר סטודענטן — קען מען איצט זען אַן אינטערוויו מיטן ייִדיש־לערער משהלע אַלפֿאָנסאָ, וואָס האָט פֿאַרקירצט און באַאַרבעט די דערציילונגען.
אין דעם אינטערוויו דערציילט אַלפֿאָנסאָ וועגן דעם פּראָצעס פֿון שאַפֿן דאָס ביכל, און לייענט געקליבענע אויסצוגן דערפֿון. דער אינטערוויו, געפֿירט פֿון אלי בענעדיקט, איז געשטיצט געוואָרן פֿון דער ייִדיש־ליגע, וואָס האָט אויך אַרויסגעגעבן דאָס לייענביכל.
דאָס נאָוואַטאָרישע ביכל גיט דעם לייענער אַ צוטריט צו קלאַסישע ייִדיש־דערציילונגען דורך אַ זײַט־בײַ־זײַטיקן גלאָסאַר, שמועס־פֿראַגעס און קלאַנג־רעקאָרדירונגען פֿון די מעשׂיות.
משהלע אַלפֿאָנסאָ איז אַ ייִדיש־לערער בײַם ייִדישן ביכער־צענטער זינט 2019. אין 2022 האָט ער, דורכן פֿאַרלאַג „אָלניאַנסקי־טעקסט“, טראַנסקריבירט און אַרויסגעגעבן יצחק באַשעוויסעס בוך „שׂונאים: די געשיכטע פֿון אַ ליבע“. דער ראָמאַן איז אַרויס אין המשכים אינעם פֿאָרווערטס אין 1966, און ס’איז דאָס ערשטע מאָל וואָס שׂונאים איז אַרויס אין בוכפֿאָרעם אויף ייִדיש.
דאָס ביכל קען מען באַשטעלן דאָ.
The post VIDEO: Moishele Alfonso on the new book of I. L. Peretz stories for students appeared first on The Forward.
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VIDEO: Peter, Paul and Mary’s “Light One Candle” — in Yiddish
If, like me, you enjoy listening to old recordings of the iconic folk group Peter, Paul and Mary, you may want to check this out: a new Yiddish version of their Hanukkah song “Light One Candle,” sung by another talented trio — Rabbi Avram, Elisha and Sarah Mlotek. (A transliteration of the lyrics appears beneath the video below.)
The three siblings are the grown children of Zalmen Mlotek, musician and director of the Yiddish National Theater Folksbiene, and his wife, Debbie Mlotek. Rabbi Avram is a writer, Elisha is a filmmaker and Sarah is studying music at a conservatory in Israel — and just became a mom.
Their singing is backed up by C. Joseph Lanzbom on guitar and Elisha on percussion.
The original song, which was written by Peter Yarrow, became an anthem for the Soviet Jewry movement in the 1980s, symbolizing their struggle for freedom. It was translated into Yiddish by the theater producer Moishe Rosenfeld and Avram Mlotek.
“‘Light One Candle’ was one of our Bubbe’s favorite songs every time we got together for a Hanukkah sing-along,” Avram said. Their Bubbe was the renowned scholar of Yiddish song, Chana Mlotek. For many years, she and her husband, the Yiddish cultural activist Yosl Mlotek, ran a column about Yiddish songs and poetry in the Forward.
Although Hanukkah is still a month away, Bubby Chana’s grandchildren had a meaningful reason for publishing it now: This week marks her yortzeit.
TRANSLITERATION
Eyn likht shaynt far di heldishe kinder
A dank vos dos likht geyt nit oys
Eyn likht shaynt far di payn un di laydn
Di sakone’z geven azoy groys
Eyn likht flakert far korbones un laydn
Az yoysher un frayhayt zol zayn
Eyn likhtl flakert far khokhme un visn
Far frayhayt un sholem zol zayn.
Lesht nit di likhtlekh oys!
Zey flakern shoyn doyres-lang
Lesht nit di likhtlekh oys!
Balaykhtn durkh undzer gezang!
Eyn likht flakert tsu gebn undz koyekh
Az eybik mir’n blaybn getray
Eyn likht flakert far mentshn vos laydn
Oykh mir zenen nisht geven fray
Eyn likhtl flakert far zise khaloymes
Tseteyln zol undz nisht der kas
Un eyn likhtl flakert tsu haltn tsuzamen
Mit sholem un mer nisht kayn has
Lesht nit di likhtlekh oys!
Zey flakern shoyn doyres-lang
Lesht nit di likhtlekh oys!
Balaykhtn durkh undzer gezang!
Vos iz di mayse vos iz azoy tayer
Vos lebt eybik in undzer flam?
Vos iz di shvue tsu fargangene doyres
Az es lebt undzer folk, undzer am?
Mir kumen, mir geyen, mir hofn, mir gloybn
Az yoysher vet vern der klal
Dos iz der viln, dos iz di shvue
A shenere velt iberal!
Lesht nit di likhtlekh oys!
Zey flakern shoyn doyres-lang
Lesht nit di likhtlekh oys!
Balaykhtn durkh undzer gezang!
The post VIDEO: Peter, Paul and Mary’s “Light One Candle” — in Yiddish appeared first on The Forward.