Rosh Hashanah 2026: Top 10 things to pray for in 5787 - opinion

Walmart founder Sam Walton passed away 34 years ago, but his good advice still lives on.

“Managing your expectations is a key to success in life,” he famously said. “Whenever expectations go unmet, we experience disappointment.”

Some years, as the new Jewish calendar year approached, people would hatch joyful hunky-dory acronyms that corresponded to that year’s Hebrew letters.

But nowadays, taking Walton’s advice, the acronym I’ve been seeing most for the Hebrew letters that equal 5787, taf-shin-peh-zayin, has been “tihye shana pachot zvautit,” which translates roughly as: “May the year ahead be relatively less horrendous.”

That’s a blessing that doesn’t leave much room for disappointment, and it’s welcome for Israel in 5787.

But the point of Rosh Hashanah is that we get a chance to pray to God for a year that will be at least slightly better than we expect, both for us and for our country. So what should we be praying for this holiday?

While purposely setting the bar low, here are 10 somewhat realistic expectations for your prayers for the year ahead in Israel that you can ask for on Rosh Hashanah:

1. A government that truly cares about how Israel looks abroad

This is not an endorsement of anyone, but it may be an indictment of every government we’ve had. They all made security their top priority, without realizing how much our security – and that of Jews abroad – depends on international perception.

Could this week’s sanctions on Israel from the UK have been averted with different policies? Could they really be only the result of internal British political realities and misunderstandings, and not anything our current government did or chose not to do?

As for the opposition, when Democrats leader Yair Golan accused the IDF of “killing babies as a pastime,” it made NBC’s headlines on May 20, 2025, the night before Elias Rodriguez murdered Israeli Embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. He left behind a manifesto using Israel’s “extermination” in Gaza to justify his violence.

2. Improved outreach to young Americans

The Israeli government and pro-Israel groups must realize that there is an emergency situation with Israel’s perception among the next generation of American leaders.

Harvard/Harris polls have asked every month for three years: “In the Israel-Hamas conflict, do you support Israel or Hamas more?” As I’ve been saying in my lectures throughout the war, the polls could have said Palestine or Gaza, but they asked about Hamas to reveal a stark contrast.

Among respondents 65 and over, the results are comforting and consistent, with some 90% deeming themselves more pro-Israel. But among 18-24-year-olds, numbers vary based on recent headlines and trends on TikTok.

As HonestReporting pointed out, the August 2026 poll found that a frightening 54% called themselves more pro-Hamas. Only 51% said Israel had a right to exist as the homeland of the Jewish people, and answering a question that singled out Hamas and Hezbollah, 39% said there are no terrorist groups on Israel’s borders.

3. Unity – or at least not civil war

In his book The Jewish March of Folly, Amotz Asa-El, a Jerusalem Post columnist, tells the story of the tragedies of 12 civil wars in Jewish history, and how before Oct. 7, 2023, Israel was on its way to its 13th.

The lack of support for parties calling for unity does not bode well for 5787 being a year of brotherhood. It’s an election year, and we’ll get more divided before anyone can work on making it better.

But once it’s over, if someone can form a government, will it be time to heal and build consensus, or to force the results down the losers’ throats?

If it’s the latter, next year’s column may require even lower expectations.

4. The election of good ambassadors

Thankfully, multiple parties put native English-speaking candidates on their list by Tuesday’s deadline, some higher than others, some more trustworthy than others.

Recent Anglo MKs have served Post readers well in different ways, and their accomplishments should be celebrated, not negated. In alphabetical order: Naftali Bennett, Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Sharren Haskel, Dan Illouz, Dov Lipman, Michael Oren, Yitzhak Pindrus, Moshe Roth, Michal Slawny-Cababia, Alon Tal, and Moshe Tur-Paz.

If native English speakers are elected, they should be honored to follow in their footsteps and learn from them, not pretend our community has never been adequately represented.

5. Abraham Accords expansion

Anything regarding the Palestinians is controversial, but expanding the Abraham Accords is as consensus as it gets. There are Muslim countries that want to normalize relations with Israel and were going to before Oct. 7, but put it off due to war, geopolitical, and internal political realities.

Let’s hope that in the year ahead, there will be more countries that join the accords, open embassies, and give Israelis more places to explore.

6. Tourism returns

When someone asked me why I had a great summer, despite not going abroad, I responded that our tourist attractions had short lines. That was a silver lining on a sad situation in a country that relies desperately on tourists who fill hotel rooms, hire long-suffering tour guides, and support the Israeli economy.

Orthodox residents of Long Island’s Five Towns and Teaneck, NJ, and committed Christians from around the world, are expected during Sukkot. However, it’s time for the less religiously observant to return to pre-war, pre-COVID numbers – and to remember that Jerusalem Post columnists give VIP breakfast briefings at the King David Hotel.

7. The doctors come back, too

The 1,370 Israeli physicians who left for at least 12 months between 2023 and 2025, according to a Tel Aviv University study, are a good reason to feel unwell.

Let’s hope whoever will be in power will do what it takes to halt the brain drain and woo our medical professionals back, so they can give us the care we need.

8. Sundays off – or at least a quarterly bank holiday?

For decades, the Post has been calling for the adoption of the work week we enjoyed before moving here.

Having Sundays off would stimulate vast sectors of the economy and give Israelis the leisure time that they desperately need. It would help bring different communities together that rarely mix, and make us healthier mentally and physically. But since that’s not going to happen, a wise colleague suggested instituting a quarterly bank holiday that purposely doesn’t fall on a day of religious significance.

And no, having three elections in 5787 doesn’t count!

9. Another good year for Deni 

Portland Trail Blazers’ basketball star Deni Avdija averaged 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game last season, becoming the first Israeli to make the NBA All-Star team and play in a playoff game. He also proved himself a mensch, proud Israeli, and Jew.

But the Blazers have a new coach and healthier lineup, so they won’t have to rely on Deni to score or handle the ball as much.

There are now a record four Israelis in the NBA. Let’s hope they play well enough and are given enough opportunities to give Israelis the assist we need.

10. A Nobel Comeback

Last week’s passing of chemist Ada Yonath, who won the Nobel Prize in 2009, was a reminder that it’s been too long since the coveted award was won by an Israeli who lives and works here.

The last Nobels won by Israeli citizens were conferred to residents of California; Brookline, Massachusetts; and Skokie, Illinois. Dan Shechtman was the last Israeli resident who won – 15 years ago. It’s time to bring another prize home in 5787. ■

The writer was former chief political correspondent for The Jerusalem Post and has lectured about Israel in all 50 US states.