Jacob Wirtzer

As the 2026 World Cup commences, America quickly transforms into a celebration of dual identities. Mexican-American families wave Mexican flags through the streets of Los Angeles, Irish-Americans pack bars in green jerseys, and entire neighborhoods suddenly rediscover deep emotional ties to countries their grandparents left decades ago. Nobody views this as strange. In fact, America tends to celebrate it. It is treated as proof that the United States is confident enough to allow people to...

There are two words I grew up with that I believed were honorable: patriot and Zionist. Today, in many spaces, both require explanation, and often, defense. As a kid, my patriotism was represented in my unyielding admiration for the US military. My Zionism, though I was still unaware of who Theodore Herzl was, shined through the desire – as the only Jewish kid in my class – to teach my fellow fourth-grade classmates about a small country called Israel. As an adult, my life path has reflected...

Over the past week, two distinct sounds have ruled our days, and the rhythm of our nights has changed. One is the familiar yet viscerally alarming “Emergency Alert” that blares from our phones as a ~10 minute advanced warning that a missile barrage is on its way from Iran to our area. For those tuning in from the US, imagine an Amber Alert on steroids, except Amber is a ballistic missile. 10, maybe 5, maybe 7, maybe 2 minutes later, the second sound comes. You first hear it faintly in the...