A Groyper Is on Florida's Ballot

Vandals hit a Reform synagogue in Jerusalem. Someone broke a window into Kol HaNeshama, in the capital's Baka neighborhood, around 12:30 a.m. Saturday and tore up a Pride flag and artwork inside. No one was there; police have fingerprint and camera evidence. It's the synagogue's third such attack since 2023. MK Gilad Kariv, a Reform rabbi, called the attackers "incited hooligans" and accused the government of "fostering gratuitous hatred." ¹

A Trump-endorsed congressman is fighting off a Fuentes fan for governor. Florida Republicans vote Tuesday, and GOP candidate James Fishback has spent the race courting the "groyper" movement with coded lines like "goyslop." His rival, Rep. Byron Donalds, has Trump's endorsement and leads in the polls. ²

Israel's economy grew 15.4% last quarter. The Central Bureau of Statistics says GDP rose at an annualized 15.4%, beating forecasts, after a 2.2% contraction tied to the Iran war. Exports were up 25.2%. ³

Likud held its primary Monday, and Benjamin Netanyahu now reserves nearly a third of the party's first 30 list slots for himself and his picks, up from two reserved seats when the practice began in 2015. Turnout ran 26% by mid-afternoon, against a usual 57%. MK Amit Halevi called the result "a celebration of democracy." Energy Minister Eli Cohen said 75% of the top 32 spots were "chosen democratically," which leaves a quarter that weren't, said out loud, on purpose. Likud is projected to fall from 32 seats to 22-24 in the October 27 election. A shrinking party just handed its leader more control over who fills what's left of it. ⁴ The backstory →

Today is 5 Elul, 5786. Rosh Hashanah, 1 Tishrei 5787, lands at sundown on September 11. That's twenty-nine days of Elul left to get your act together before the new year starts totaling things up. ⁵