The Jewish month of Elul is a month of introspection. Jews all over the world begin preparing for the Jewish New Year and for the holidays of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. Many of us wake up early or go to sleep late, adding prayers that focus on repentance and forgiveness. On Rosh HaShanah we hear the call of the shofar and tremble as we are judged for the year that follows. Whether observant or nonobservant, most Jewish Israelis are deeply moved by these Days of Awe. Never has this been truer than as we celebrate the coming of 5786.

The United Nations wants to make sure that everyone remembers what a useless and awful organization it is, so every so often they get together for a General Assembly where world leaders can speak in front of a sickly green marble wall that looks like it belongs in a corporate bathroom. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at the U.N., and delegates from more than 77 countries walked out in protest. They did so in solidarity with terrorists who would murder every Jew and conquer Western civilization if given the chance, and countries like Spain, Ireland, Norway, Greece, and many others are desperately trying to give them that chance. But Netanyahu didn’t back down. He gave a strong speech that the world needs to listen to, or face bigger problems from radical Islam and its backers.

Charles James Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and conservative influencer, was murdered during a college event in Utah last week. He was assassinated for spreading conservative and pro-American ideas and messages to younger generations. This is the most prominent assassination of a political activist since Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968, and the nation has lost a giant of unprecedented proportions because of it. Charlie leaves behind a wife and two children.

In a stunning display of moral cowardice and historical amnesia, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the United Kingdom would formally recognize a so-called “Palestinian state.” This decision, coming alongside similar moves by Canada and Australia, is a reward for decades of terrorism against Jews in Israel and around the world and a permission structure for more violence. This is not just a diplomatic blunder or an antisemitic proclamation; it is a deliberate willingness to ignore the reality of the world to placate the more radical and insane members of British society.

Governor Kathy Hochul, in a desperate attempt to fend off a primary challenger in next year’s gubernatorial election, has endorsed socialist Zohran Mamdani to be the next mayor of New York City. This feckless and cowardly endorsement unmasks the bald truth of today’s Democratic Party — that they are ideologically captured by far-left, progressive, anti-American, anti–Western civilization socialists, and they have no clue how to stop it.