New York's Salute to Israel Parade, 1969 or 1970

When I was going through pictures the other week, I came across two from the Salute to Israel Parade. Here I am with other members of the NCSY National Conference of Synagogue Youth Israeli Folk Dance Group, which I had led those two years.

Yes, that's me in the middle holding up the Israeli Flag.

Those were our costumes made for the big Israeli Folk Dance Festival, which had been run by the legendary Fred Burk. I have a feeling it was the 1970 parade, because I think we added the white trim on the skirts that year. We wore them without the trim in 1969, if I'm not mistaken. I led the group both those years, before I got married and made aliyah.

In 1970 I marched the parade twice. First I marched/danced with NCSY and then ran back to close the beginning to catch Betar and march with them, too.

I participated in all the parades until our aliyah, from the very first. And in 1977, we visited New York in the spring and marched again with Betar if I remember correctly. I know we were there. It was the end of our two year shlichut, doing Jewish Zionist youth work in London, and we visited family in New York before returning to Israel.

Does anyone else have great memories of those early Salute to Israel Parades?