Shared Values on Display as Hundreds Remember Charlie Kirk’s Ties to Israel and the Sabbath
Jewish theologian David Nekrutman: “The world is a quieter, less challenging place without his voice”
A memorial service in Jerusalem for US conservative activist Charlie Kirk drew several hundred people on Sunday, many of them longtime associates, political allies, and ministry partners who said they came both to honor his memory and to set the record straight about his relationship with Israel, the Jewish people, and the Sabbath. Although the attendees were mainly Christian, the event marked a turning point in Judeo-Christian relations, with many Israelis attending to honor the Turning Point USA founder, who was fatally shot in September while speaking at Utah Valley University. The speakers described his outspoken identification with the Jewish state, his rejection of antisemitism, and his commitment to observing Shabbat.
The gathering carried a dual purpose: an expression of solidarity with Kirk’s widow and family, and a public affirmation of the shared values that had defined his work. Organizers and speakers said the crowd’s presence reflected a deepening bond between Christians and Jews rooted in faith, freedom, and support for Israel. Many framed their remarks as a response to recent criticism of Kirk’s views, seeking to anchor his legacy in the personal relationships and religious commitments they said guided his life.
The event was organized by Gideon 300 and Isaiah Projects. Founded by Matthew Faraci, Gideon300, is a public affairs company representing pro-freedom causes around the world
Isaiah Projects is an organization dedicated to helping Christians discover the Hebraic roots of their faith. The group provides humanitarian assistance to Oct. 7 survivors, equipment to first responders, and assistance in rebuilding the kibbutzim near the Gaza border. It is co-founded and directed by David Nekrutman, an Orthodox Jewish theologian who moderated the event.
Nekrutman began the event with a tribute to Charlie Kirk and said, “The world is a quieter, less challenging place without his voice.” Throughout the ceremony, Nekrutman explained concepts and observance of the Sabbath and led the attendees in a reading of the 23rd Psalm, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”
Nissim Black speaks at the Jerusalem event honoring Charlie Kirk, Nov. 16, 2025. (Felice Friedson/The Media Line)
The psalm was a central theme in the speech delivered by American-Israeli rapper and producer Nissim Black. He told the audience that Kirk embodied the qualities of someone guided by faith. “So, ladies and gentlemen, Charlie Kirk was one who knew the shepherd,” Black declared. “And he was one who lived his life that sang such a song. It was a song of courageousness. It was a song of boldness. It was a song that sang so loud that the whole entire world heard it. That was Charlie Kirk.”
[People] saw his videos through a decade fighting for the truth in universities, abroad, against Holocaust denial, promoting the idea of Shabbat, endless discussions. … Just an amazing individual.
Israeli Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli told the audience that Kirk’s public work had been familiar to many Israelis long before the memorial. He noted that people “saw his videos through a decade fighting for the truth in universities, abroad, against Holocaust denial, promoting the idea of Shabbat, endless discussions,” and described him as “just an amazing individual.” Chikli added that Kirk’s appeal rested on his conviction that freedom carried both political and spiritual meaning, adding that this idea sits at the center of shared Judeo-Christian values that shape the relationship between Israel and the United States.
The minister recalled that Kirk had been scheduled to appear at an international conference on combating antisemitism that his office will host in Jerusalem in late January. “Charlie was the first guest I invited as a minister,” he said, explaining that he viewed Kirk as a crucial voice “defending truth and justice and standing against antisemitism.” Chikli mentioned sending the invitation through Pastor Rob McCoy in early August and receiving word on Sept. 5 that Kirk would likely attend.
Amichai Chikli, minister for Diaspora affairs and combating antisemitism, speaks at the Jerusalem event honoring Charlie Kirk, Nov. 16, 2025. (Felice Friedson/The Media Line)
That expectation ended five days later. On Sept. 10, Chikli said he learned of the killing while reading to his children at home and struggled to process the news. “It was evening, and I just couldn’t believe what I saw on video. It was shocking.” He added that the shooting served as a grim example of the rise in political violence, comparing it to the earlier attempt to assassinate President Trump.
Devorah Faraci, speaking on behalf of her husband, Matthew Faraci, president of Gideon 300, told the audience that their organization was honored to co-sponsor the event with Isaiah Projects. She explained that her husband, who was unable to attend, met Kirk through professional gatherings and quickly realized how much he enjoyed spirited discussion.
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Faraci recounted that shortly before the shooting, her husband spoke in person to Charlie Kirk, who was upset that some were questioning his support for Israel and the Jewish people. “He was being accused of being an antisemite,” she said, and her husband reassured him.
“As a Jew, we see what you’ve done for Israel,” Faraci described the conversation. “We see how you defend the Jewish people. We see how you support us.” Matthew Faraci urged Charlie Kirk to continue his work, echoing a phrase Kirk often repeated to them: “Don’t stop fighting.” She closed by saying her husband will always remember him warmly and that Kirk “was also a friend to Israel.”
As a Jew, we see what you’ve done for Israel. We see how you defend the Jewish people. We see how you support us.
Faraci added that her husband was also struck by Kirk’s disclosure that he observed Shabbat. She recalled Matthew’s reaction when Kirk told him, “I keep Shabbat,” and explained that he would “turn off my technology and … observe Shabbat from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown.” She said the practice grew out of Kirk’s study of Torah and reflected his desire to bring those teachings into his home life. According to Faraci, he often spoke excitedly about a book he was writing on how to keep Shabbat and “would always light up about it.”
Devorah Faraci speaks at the Jerusalem event honoring Charlie Kirk, Nov. 16, 2025. (Felice Friedson/The Media Line)
The event then featured a screening of a filmed interview with Charlie Kirk, who explained “how the Sabbath saved my life and helped preserve my family and my career.” He described the profound impact that adopting a Sabbath practice had on him personally. He spoke admiringly of Jewish writer and theologian Dennis Prager, calling him “the premier Torah teacher of this generation” and praising his “phenomenal mind.” Kirk noted that Prager “has brought the teachings of the Sabbath to more millions of people than anyone alive.”
Kirk admitted that, at first, he felt a pang of jealousy watching Prager completely “unplug for one day,” surrounded by friends and family and fully devoted to worship. “I want that,” he recalled thinking. That moment of envy led him to a deeper realization: True rest and spiritual grounding are not commodities. “It’s not something you purchase in a store,” he said. “It’s a prioritization that God is in charge.”
He concluded by reflecting on the Sabbath’s enduring power, describing it as “the oldest celebration of time,” and emphasized how embracing it transformed his sense of family, faith, and purpose.
Pastor Rob McCoy — who brought Kirk into the public and remained a close friend — also remarked on Kirk’s Shabbat observance and the peace it gave him. He described how Kirk’s Shabbat observance fit into the pace of Turning Point USA. Even while living “the entire day in front of that screen,” Kirk treated the Friday-to-Saturday break as nonnegotiable.
“Everyone knew … from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday, he’s not going to respond to anything.” More than anything, McCoy stressed that Kirk used the time to center himself around his faith and his family. Kirk embraced the idea that “the portion he reads is Sabbath for the man, not man for the Sabbath,” shaping his rest around Scripture and quiet time with those closest to him.
He found unbelievable freedom in turning everything off. From Friday night to Saturday night, no one could reach him. That rhythm grounded him.
He found unbelievable freedom in turning everything off. From Friday night to Saturday night, no one could reach him,” McCoy said. “That rhythm grounded him
From the podium, McCoy reflected on Kirk’s early years in public life and the convictions that shaped him well before he became a globally recognized name. McCoy said he first met Kirk in 2019 and already knew how deeply Israel had impacted him. Kirk frequently spoke about his first visit to the country, noting that his wife, Erica, had been with him, and McCoy said the experience stayed with both of them. Israel, he said, touched Kirk “deeply,” and whenever they discussed the region, Kirk spoke plainly about “the sovereign nation of Israel.”
The two regularly discussed the biblical belief that “Israel would be a political nation first, spiritual nation second.” He said Kirk “believed in the ancestral right to the land and that Jews were God’s chosen people.” At the same time, McCoy recalled that Kirk questioned political structures in both countries. According to McCoy, this came from Kirk’s work with young voters — “18- to 30-year-olds, who have no understanding of Israel and they get most of their information from TikTok.” That group, he noted, made up a central part of the MAGA movement and represented “the largest group of young people, first-time voters, conservative, in the history of the United States.”
During the Q&A moderated by Christian Broadcasting Network’s Chris Mitchell along with Pastor McCoy, an audience member asked what should be done about commentators like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, whom the questioner accused of twisting Christian language to promote anti-Israel rhetoric. The question drew applause.
Pastor Rob McCoy and Chris Mitchell host a Q&A at the Jerusalem event honoring Charlie Kirk, Nov. 16, 2025. (Felice Friedson/The Media Line)
Pastor McCoy answered by arguing that the roots of the problem run far deeper than a few public figures. Today’s young adults “have all been raised by Caesar, and we wonder why they became Romans.” It is a generation shaped almost entirely by secular public school systems that, in Pastor McCoy’s view, have abandoned Judeo-Christian moral foundations and embraced cancel culture, Diversity Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and gender ideology.
“We’ve taken white males and put them at the bottom of the totem pole … mocked them and embraced the stupidity,” he said, adding that it was no surprise that many of them drift toward destructive influencers and extremist political figures. “We have made this generation absolutely indoctrinated with this garbage.”
The solution, he said, is not to look to national leaders for rescue: “Politicians are actors reading from a script written by the audience. It’s time to rewrite the script. Do the hard work.” McCoy pressed parents, pastors, and local voters to ask basic questions: “Who’s on your school board? What are they teaching? Have you participated?”
Politicians are actors reading from a script written by the audience. It’s time to rewrite the script. Do the hard work.
He warned against reliance on national personalities. “We want the answer to come on Air Force One. We want Trump to fix it. We want Charlie to fix it. We want Turning Point to fix it.” He noted that Charlie Kirk “worked really hard to get where he is,” and now, after his death, an entire movement is grieving and recalibrating. Meanwhile, he said, some demand that “the Tuckers” and “the Candaces” be silenced, while Turning Point faces attacks from all sides. Charlie, he reminded listeners, was called both an antisemite and a Zionist simply for defending dialogue and hosting speakers like Ben Shapiro.
“This is the work of all of us,” Pastor McCoy continued, adding that saving the next generation requires courage: “The voices of reason are afraid not to be liked.” The path forward, he concluded, is not telling Charlie’s widow or Turning Point how to lead, but stepping up locally — standing for truth, showing up at school board meetings, and assuming responsibility for the culture rather than outsourcing it.
