Another year is closing, and with it comes some renewed optimism for a fresh start and some relief that we are leaving some sore spots behind.

2023 wasn’t an easy year for many of us. It was marked by war — in Ukraine and later in Gaza. With Hamas’s barbaric attack on innocent Jews in October came a shocking and deeply disturbing rise in antisemitism here at home, and a heartbreaking feeling among many American Jews that they are no longer safe in their cities or their college campuses. With that also came a tragic humanitarian loss of life among innocent Palestinians, for whom there is seemingly no end in sight.

It was also a tough year economically for many Americans. Inflation and high cost of living meant tightening the purse strings yet again. And, despite President Biden’s insistence that the economy is improving, it still remains the top concern among voters.

Donald Trump, running for reelection, was catapulted back into our lives after being indicted four separate times on more than 90 charges. He ended the year by telling his enemies, “MAY THEY ‘ROT IN HELL. AGAIN, MERRY CHRISTMAS!”

We’re facing a 2024 election that very few Americans want, and one in which issues like immigration, abortion, and crime are deepening divides.

With all of this hanging over us, it’s hard to locate some optimism heading into the new year. But that’s what New Year’s........

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