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This past Sunday, Mexican voters made history, choosing between two frontrunners to make history as the country’s first woman president was elected. Former Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, 61, won by a commanding lead, running in the Morena party of term-limited incumbent Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Ask anyone why we mourn during “The Nine Days” and they will tell you it’s because the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed. While it’s true that this tragic event happened during these days, according to chasidic teachings, that is not why we mourn.

Israel supporters worldwide are up in arms over the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision, under the auspices of its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, to issue arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for potential crimes against humanity. This egregious attempt to put Israel’s democratically elected leaders next to Hamas’ Yahya Sinwar as potential war criminals is an insidious notion to consider, just as the Jewish state has been waging a costly war against a terrorist regime in Gaza.

August is here, which means that politicians are going to start hitting the trails harder than ever, making their push to prove that they are the best candidates to vote for in November. While there are expectations for the upcoming year, there are some surprises that may come up, as well.

Teachers often write things in end-of-term reports like “progress has been made” or “there has been much growth.” Isn’t that what we want from our students when they leave our rooms? For them to grow as students and as people? 

We mourn for many tragedies on Tish’ah B’Av. From the return of ten spies who gave our ancestors a discouraging report of Eretz Yisrael, to the many defeats that the subsequent generations have suffered since then, reasons to fast and sit on the floor while reading the Kinos have increased. In our time, it has become necessary for Jewish advocacy organizations to confront leaders in the community who have put progressive politics ahead of security for Israel.

“Andy [Levin] frequently and one-sidedly criticizes Israel, defends and even fundraises for its worst detractors...and, from his seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, authors and supports highly problematic legislation,” former AIPAC president David Victor wrote in an email to supporters in January. “And he does so as a Levin, a name which, due to his uncle and father, commands respect and admiration on Capitol Hill. To make matters worse, Andy sincerely claims to be a lifelong Zionist, proud Jew, and supporter of Israel.”