I’m not really a rally or march guy. The older I get, the less I like being in big crowds and that was even before Covid. Plus, I’m busy. Between work and family activities, I don’t really have time to attend rallies or protests or anything like that. Tuesday’s March for Israel was different. First, it was held on the National Mall, so I only needed to travel a few extra Metro stops to get there. More importantly, I felt that I needed to be there to support the Jewish community and the Israeli-American relationship.
Let’s go back a month. On October 7th, Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and brutally killed approximately 1,400 people and kidnapped 240 others. Children and the elderly were part of both groups. More Jews were killed on October 7th than on any other day since the Holocaust. While I shared my thoughts about the aftermath of the terrorist attacks and Israel's response two weeks later, I didn't touch on what has happened and continues to happen in America. Anti-semitism and threats against Jews on college campuses (including where I worked at Ohio State for two years). Vandalism at Jewish institutions. The number of antisemitic incidents has skyrocketed. The March for Israel was an opportunity to let our voices be heard that we're not going to take it. (Feel free to sing the Twisted Sister song.) That we support Israel and its right to exist. And that we demand the release of the hostages.
I arrived on the National Mall via the Smithsonian Metro station around 11:00. While I considered showing that I'm a local and asking people to stand on the right of the Metro escalator, I just took the stairs while many groups with matching shirts emerged from the subway. I followed my way toward the stage and got in line to enter the "front" area. I found myself next to a group who flew in from Minnesota and saw that they all had blue wristbands to get into this area. I didn't have a wristband, so I went back to the "general admission" section and stood in the grass approximately between the Smithsonian castle and the Natural History Museum.
A pre-show rally for/by students started at 11:30 with various high school and college student speakers. Other speakers for the pre-show included Tik-Tok and Instagram star Montana Tucker (who I follow), actor Brett Gelman from Stranger Things and Fleabag, and Congressman Ritchie Torres of New York who I thought was fantastic.
There were also performances by Israeli musicians Ishay Ribo and Omer Adam. I wasn't familiar with either, though to be fair, most of the music I know from the last few years is what I hear on the SiriusXM channel Hits One.
The "main event" started at 1:00. with speeches from actress Tova Feldshuh, CNN's Van Jones (more mixed reactions for him than anyone else), and former Soviet dissident and Israeli politician Natan Sharansky. Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke from the Western Wall, and there were speeches from other political figures like Israeli Ambassador to the US, Michael Herzog, and Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, the US Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism. To me, the most notable speakers during the rally were the Congressional leadership of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senator Joni Ernst. (I guess Senator Mitch McConnell was busy trying to figure out how the now 2-8 University of Pittsburgh football team handed the University of Louisville its only loss of the season thus far last month.) I really found the inclusion and words by Torres, Johnson, and Jeffries to be an important part of the event. These are non-Jewish allies sharing their support.
Debra Messing was terrific.
Matisyahu performed with the Maccabeats.
For years, I've joked about a rivalry between acapella groups the Maccabeats and Six13. While competition between these two groups is probably all in my head, I feel like the March for Israel should have been a time where they performed together. Sort of like Taylor Swift and Katy Perry coming together after years of feuding.
Although the event was scheduled to end at 3:00, it was still going strong at 3:20. After standing in one spot for about 5 hours, I was not still going strong and decided to head home. With the entrance to the Smithsonian Metro station packed, I walked about a mile away to the Farragut West station. Maybe it's because I left early, but I was surprised that the Metro wasn't crowded. I heard that buses parked at RFK, so maybe more people headed in the opposite direction.
A few final notes:
* Many speakers mentioned their support of the Palestinian people and shared their prayers or grief with innocent Palestinian civilians who have lost their lives. (I noticed this the most in Debra Messing's speech above.)
* While I enjoyed the rally, I think I would have had a better time if I went with a group and/or with friends.
* 13 years ago, I attended the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear starring Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. 13 years later, there's still no cell phone reception on the National Mall when there's a large group of people.
Overall, I'm glad I attended. Hearing from several famililes of those kidnapped was powerful. More than anything, it was a sense of unity. Of coming together. Of knowing that we're not alone.
Here are a few more photos from the event:
Am Yisrael Chai!
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