The Rest America Needs

What do Jews, Jesus, the Pilgrims, President Trump, and Charlie Kirk all have in common?

Last week, President Trump did something no sitting American president has ever done. He issued a proclamation calling on Americans to observe Shabbat.

“From sundown on May 15 to nightfall on May 16,” the proclamation read, “friends, families, and communities of all backgrounds may come together in gratitude for our great Nation. This day will recognize the sacred Jewish tradition of setting aside time for rest, reflection, and gratitude to the Almighty.”

As a Jew, I want to extend that invitation personally to every American reading this. Not simply as a religious exercise — though it is that — but as an act of cultural self-preservation. The Sabbath is one of the most practical tools for human survival ever devised, and we have never needed it more.