Maccabiah athletes and presenters will be among the participants at New York City’s annual “Israel Day on the Fifth” parade, scheduled for Sunday, May 18.
An anticipated 120 athletes, staff and other Maccabiah representatives, plus the M25 Maccabiah official presenters will be on the float, which will travel along the Fifth Avenue route and will be broadcast on live television.
The 2025 Maccabiah presenters include Jewish mega-influencer Montana Tucker; Israel judoka and Paris Olympic bronze medalist Peter Paltchik; and Israeli para taekwondo athlete Asaf Yasur, gold medalist at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
The float is in cooperation with Maccabi USA, which will have some 1,100 athletes competing at the M25 Maccabiah.
At the head of the Maccabiah float will be the official M25 torch, which began its six-month international journey in December, at the graves of the ancient Maccabees in Israel.
There, the torch was lit by IDF officer Evyatar Zytuni, wounded while defending the country on October 7, and serves as a symbol of the courage and perseverance of the Jewish people.
The torch will return to Israel for the official M25 opening ceremony, to be held in Jerusalem on July 10.
Israel’s Minister of Culture and Sports to join parade
Also on the float is expected to be Israel’s Minister of Culture and Sports, Miki Zohar.
Maccabiah CEO Roy Hessing reflected on the opportunity.
“The New York City Israel Day Parade shows the world that whether in Israel, the US or any other country, we remain united as a people, and it is logical that the Maccabiah – as the greatest example of Jewish strength and resilience – would take part in this. We look forward to seeing all of our brothers and sisters this July in Israel at the M25 Maccabiah Games.”