Shimon Peres
Shimon PeresYoni Kempinski

The first "Shimon Peres Day" will be held as part of the annual Parade for the State of Israel on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan this coming Sunday, June 4. This year's parade will be dedicated to the memory of the late Israeli President and Prime Minister.

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo had announced that the first Sunday of June would be declared "Shimon Peres Day" during his visit to Israel last March.

The annual parade down New York's Fifth Avenue, which draws thousands of marchers and tens of thousands of supporters each year, has been held in Manhattan every year since 1964. The parade will take place as part of a joint initiative of the JCRC New York, the Jewish Federation of New York (UJA), which is the umbrella organization for the Jewish Community in New York, and the Consulate General of Israel in New York.

Tens of thousands of participants including members of the Jewish community in New York, members of youth movements, motorcyclists, dancers, clowns, and jugglers, are expected to take part in the traditional parade, which begins on 57th Street and ends on 74th Street. Senior Israeli officials including Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, Coalition Chairman David Bitan and MKs Ofer Shelah, Avi Dichter and Stav Shafir will also participate in the parade.

The parade will take place from 11:00-16:00 (New York time) / 18:00-23:00 (Israel time).

The official proclamation for the declaration of "Shimon Peres Day" states that "New York is the home of more than 1.7 million Jews, the largest Jewish community in the world outside of Israel. The connection between the State of New York and Israel has always been strong. President Peres was an ally in promoting and strengthening this connection." It goes on to read: "All New Yorkers are proud to join in the legacy of Shimon Peres, an extraordinary leader who inspired New York and the entire world."