Our country has been floundering for some time. We have seen weak, indecisive leadership in the past and now we see a practically unprecedented division within our government and among our citizens.

We are falling apart thanks to a lack of unity and the power and strength that comes from it. When united, our country is unstoppable. Look at World War II; our country was unified to fight the Nazis, with each person working toward that goal, and the U.S. military swayed the course of that war toward the Allies.

Our lack of unity now, however, has led to a terrible deal with Iran, that leaves the United States and its allies weaker and open to potential future violence. We have failed again and again to assert ourselves enough as a super power. This has led to unfair trade deals that give Americans the short end of the stick.

The United States has slowly been losing the respect of the world and this all can be attribute to our lack of unity.

This is why I was quite taken with the Day of Jewish Unity; on Sept. 15, the Jewish organization Acheinu, the outreach arm of the educational organization, Dirshu, is organizing a global day of Jewish unity and prayer, on which thousands of participants will pray for peace and will pledge to refrain from gossip. This is a beautiful idea. While it may only last for one day, the effects will likely remain for a long time.

Our country needs to follow Dirshu’s model and have a Day of Unity. Regardless of your religion, we should all pledge on Sept. 15 not to speak ill of others and to pray as a united front for peace and prosperity.

Right now, our country cannot seem to go five minutes without a split of some kind that is then reinforced by malicious words.

We currently have a Republican leading the White House; while I understand that not everyone in this country agrees with all his policies, I ask that we unite as a country and agree to put aside petty differences to do great things. I believe that if the naysayers would stop gossiping and tweeting and just give President Trump a chance, he could take our nation in a more positive direction toward peace, prosperity, and strength.

If we chose to work together, we could initiate the tax reform that everybody wants and needs, thusly creating more jobs by having a tax code that does not reward companies that bring their business overseas. If we chose to work together, we could improve our nation’s infrastructure. It is ridiculous that our bridges are crumbling and our rail service is unreliable. Trump knows how to fix these things, if we just let him.

But we cannot accomplish these things if we insist on marinating in our past hurts, refusing to let bygones be bygones. We have too many obstructionists curbing progress -- and not just from politicians on the other side of the aisle, though they too must remember that their job is to move our country forward, not start long and irresolvable arguments. These days, we have comedians and actors trying to influence the dialogue, sowing seeds of discontent and divisiveness. We see too many people online using everything in their arsenal to tear down what the president is trying to accomplish, while not offering anything to help our country. They seek to lick their wounds and lash out, rather than set aside differences to help others by creating a safer and more successful country.

We should be praying for President Trump’s success, yet many choose to pray for his demise. If we let him succeed, we will all be better off in our better country.

So, join me on Sept. 15 for a Day of Jewish Unity. Whether you are Jewish or not, we have the same values and the same desire for peace. On the Day of Jewish Unity, join us to pray for peace and refrain from gossip. Let us work together for a better future instead of fighting each other with a misplaced need to be “right.”

Just as the Jewish people thrive despite the near constant adversity they face, let us be a country again -- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.