Recording Artist 'sir Ivan' Led The Salute To Israel Parade Alongside Mayor Michael Bloomberg & Gove

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16th June 2008, 11:18am - Views: 1008





Culture Music

Culture Music



Recording Artist 'Sir Ivan' Led the Salute to Israel Parade Alongside Mayor Michael

Bloomberg & Governor David Patterson to Celebrate Israel's 60th Anniversary


MEDIA RELEASE PR30698


NEW YORK, June 16 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --


    "Sir Ivan" Wilzig aka Mr. Mitzvah, the first Jewish superhero on TV, wowed the crowds as the

Honorary Grand Marshal for the Salute to Israel Parade in New York. This year's parade marked

the country's 60th Anniversary. The internationally famed recording artist marched next to New

York's top political leaders, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor David Patterson.

 

    (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080616/NYM042

    Although his late father Siggi B. Wilzig, an Auschwitz survivor and 

legendary banker, bought over $100 million dollars worth of Israel Bonds in his lifetime and

received the Prime Minister's Medal for supporting the State 

of Israel, it was his son's hysterical over-the-top performance as Mr. 

Mitzvah, the world's first Jewish superhero, that inspired the Israel 

Independence Day Parade organizers to pick "Sir Ivan" Wilzig to be the 

Honorary Grand Marshal of the parade this past Sunday.


    According to I.M.D.B., the television industry's internet measurement guide of popularity, "Sir

Ivan" was by far the most popular contestant on the 

Sci Fi Channel's hit reality show "Who Wants To Be A Superhero?" produced by 

comic book superhero creative genius Stan Lee. The Mr. Mitzvah character stood 

out from the pack and was particularly unusual because "Sir Ivan" looked like 

the bleach-blonde rock star Billy Idol but sounded like the Broadway comedian 

Jackie Mason.


    Sixty shofars were blown in unison to start things off in style. "Sir Ivan" in his Mr. Mitzvah

superhero costume marched alongside Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the Grand Marshal of the

Parade and Governor David Patterson of New 

York.  Fellow marchers also included  "Dancing with the Stars" Steve 

Guttenberg and Marissa Jaret Winokur, along with Valerie Harper, Lainie Kazan, 

Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa and hip-hop violinist Miri Ben-Ari. 

Marching bands, horse-drawn carriages, antique cars and luxury limousines carrying the waving

celebrities worked their way north alongside street 

performers, clowns, jugglers and face painters.


    Afterwards, the parade hosted the largest hora, the traditional Israeli dance, ever attempted

since 1948, with hundreds of dancers covering all 22 blocks of the parade's route -- from 57th

Street to 79th Street. About 200 pro-Palestinian counter demonstrators watched from behind

police barricades. 

Pro-Israel parade-goers hoisted the country's blue and white flag and sang Jewish folk songs.

Contingents from yeshivas and Jewish day schools around the 

region marched in their school T-shirts. The Salute to Israel Parade is the largest and most

exciting Jewish community parade in the world. In this 60th 

Culture Music

Anniversary year, over 100,000 participants marched proudly up Fifth Avenue, 

cheered on by more than one million spectators. Millions more watched the parade on television.


    For more information, please go to www.sirivanmusic.com.    

 

   SOURCE:  "Sir Ivan" 

   

  CONTACT:  Edward Callaghan or John Wegorzewski, for "Sir Ivan",  

            +1-631-283-9130/ 


    PHOTO:  NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080616/NYM042 

            AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org 

            AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN2 

            PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com/ 


WEB SITE:  http://www.sirivanmusic.com



Translations:

   Chinese - Traditional (http://asianetnews.net/Download.asp?ID=99460)





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