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Greater Than Great: Lag Ba’Omer 5771 in Full Swing

Yeshiva World News

The 135,000 participants and viewers of last year’s Great Parade will always remember it as an unparalleled celebration of Jewish unity, pride and Ahavas Yisroel. Does it get any greater?

With 30 days until Lag Ba’Omer, organizers of The Great Parade 5771 spoke exclusively with The Yeshiva World about the annual Lag Ba’omer Parade and show in Brooklyn, the popular video promotion for the event and the most important participants.

YW: What is The Great Parade?
TGP: The theme of the parade will always be a celebration of Ahavas Yisroel in honor of the great Tanna Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai who famously requested that his Yahrtzeit be marked with joy and celebration.

YW: Who is it geared to?
TGP: You and me. Even before all the entertainment, the simple feeling of 35,000 men, women and children joining together to say Pessukim of Torah and enjoy Lag Ba’Omer is something indescribable. Everyone is welcome and we know it will be an unforgettable experience.

YW: Give us a taste of what to expect this year…
TGP: Where to start? Well, this year, there will be over a dozen 54-foot colorful floats showing scenes of Jewish life. Military marching bands and school marching bands, roaming clowns, the works! Every Jewish school can sign-up to carry a banner and be announced by the MC as they march in the Parade.

YW: Live music?
TGP: Of course! The greatest Jewish music talent will make appearances during the Parade—Mordechai Ben David, Uncle Moishy, the Marcus Brothers (of 8th Day), Benny Friedman, Shloimy Gertner. They’ll perform some of their own music as well as medleys together that will resonate with people of all backgrounds.

YW: Tell us about the video promotion that has been making the rounds…
TGP: The video features a brand-new song written for The Great Parade by the very talented Shmuli and Bentzi Marcus of 8th Day. It is an irresistibly fun song that captures the power and energy of Jewish unity. The video features many schools and stores in the tri-state area, well-known Jewish businesses, corporate partners of the Parade and more.

YW: What is the background of The Great Parade?
TGP: It began in the 1940s with “Mesibos Shabbos” rallies in Brooklyn which brought Jewish children together from Talmud Torahs and public schools to sing, say pessukim of Torah and celebrate their Jewish pride. Since then, whenever Lag Ba’Omer occurs on a Sunday, a massive parade is held on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn

YW: Who organizes The Great Parade?
TGP: Four major Jewish organizations jointly care for the logistics of The Great Parade: National Committee for the Furtherance of Jewish Education, Tzivos Hashem, Mesibos Shabbos and Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch.

YW: Next year, Lag Ba’Omer is not on a Sunday …how do you keep the excitement going?
TGP: Well, we hope to march together to Yerushalayim in The Greatest Parade even before this Lag Ba’Omer! But of course the celebration of Jewish unity carries on into the night of Lag Ba’Omer and back home into the hundreds of communities that participate.

For information and to register banners, marching bands and floats, visit TheGreatParade.com

[Article from Yeshiva World News]

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11 Comments

  • the great flop

    135,000 viewers and participants baloney but worst of all if NCFJE runs it like previously it will be a great flop the hechts made a big chilul hashem last year and they should be hands off from now on or your wasting time and money

  • The Great Optimist

    According to the article there were 35,000 people at the parade which means there wwere 100,000 watching online etc. That makes a lot of sense.

    I’m sure the four moisdois together can rise higher than the ridiculous pettiness that surfaced in the past.

    I, for one, will be there with a smile… if enough of us from CH are there to celebrate with pure achdus, I guess that’s the first step to making it a reality!

  • Proud Lubavitcher

    “YW: What is the background of The Great Parade?
    TGP: It began in the 1940s with “Mesibos Shabbos” rallies”
    Any reason why Lubavitch/The Rebbe are not mentioned?

  • the great parade

    to #1 corection: keep mendy hendel away from the stage and evrything will be well b’ezras hashem

  • TZNIUS

    I just hope that this year the whole thing will be done in a tzniusdike manner without the mingling that occurs every year

  • iZZY

    In answer to #4 Lubavitch is not mentioned because no other Jewish organization will participate if its under Lubavitch. But in my opinion they should make this years parade on Fifth Ave in Manhattan and it should be sponsored by Chabad with proffessional floats and balloons and clowns etc. this would be a real kiddush Hashem. The parade should be followed up with a picnic in Central park with real Jewish entertainment and prizes that should be fun for all the kids. All Yeshivos and day schools should be invited to participate. This system with the parade going down Kingston Ave. is nothing but a waste.

  • Shimon

    The floats are fine for Kingston Avenue. It will take more than a few nights of hocking to made the parade impressive on 5th Ave.

  • proud resident of crown heights

    i wish all the organizers much success but at the same time i also wish and hope that our children in the local community schools are given the same attention and kavod that the out of town schools are given. The schools need much more support this year. The teachers cannot motivate and look after so many kids in each class without the support from the community, bochurim here on shlichus and anyone else they can enroll to volunteer. Maybe Tzivos Hashem can help the schools in crown heights arrange this if they want the kids to actually enjoy it this year! I hope Tzivos Hashem take this suggestion positively and seriously!