Kirk, 31, was shot and killed during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University in September.By Shalhevet Eyal, TPSHundreds of Israelis and American Christian visitors gathered in Jerusalem on Sunday to honor Charlie Kirk, the U.S. conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, who was murdered earlier this year.The memorial, attended by roughly 300 people, drew Israeli officials, clergy, tourists, and longtime followers, who described Kirk as a rare public figure whose influence extended far beyond politics.Pastor Rob McCoy, one of Kirk’s closest friends and advisers, recalled Kirk as principled, private, and deeply devoted to his family.“He didn’t care about glory. He always deflected compliments,” McCoy said. “He was faithful, humble, a wonderful husband and father.”McCoy also revealed a personal routine Kirk rarely discussed publicly: the strict observance of a weekly day of rest.“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.”McCoy described Kirk as someone who saw political activism as a means to strengthen society rather than as a pursuit of power.“He saw politics as an on-ramp to increased humanity,” McCoy said. “If he could get young people rowing in the streams of liberty, he believed they would eventually reach its source.”According to McCoy, since Kirk’s murder, churches and student groups in parts of the United States have seen a noticeable rise in participation, especially among young adults.“Much of that is because of Charlie,” McCoy said. “He activated a generation.”Kirk, 31, was shot and killed during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University in September.The most personal reflections came from attendees, many of whom told the Press Service of Israel that Kirk had shaped their thinking from afar.Tammy Martin of California was one such attendee. “I never met Charlie personally, but when he was killed, it felt like losing someone I knew,” she told TPS-IL.She credited Kirk with helping many Christians understand why supporting Israel mattered. “Some people you only see through a screen, but the truth they speak goes straight through. Charlie was one of those people,” she said.Robert Whitley, also from California, echoed that sentiment, calling Kirk unmatched in his ability to speak to younger audiences. “He knew how to speak to young people in a way no one else could,” Whitley told TPS-IL.“He helped them push back against indoctrination and see Israel and America with real clarity.”Josh, an Israeli tour guide and Bible teacher, highlighted Kirk’s willingness to engage with ideological opponents rather than dismiss them.“Charlie didn’t shut people down — he invited disagreement,” he said. “He believed in real dialogue, and that’s something Israel desperately needs too.”Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs, Amichai Chikli, praised Kirk’s contributions on a broader stage. “Charlie embodied the deeper meaning of freedom — responsibility, clarity, discipline,” Chikli said.He noted that Kirk challenged antisemitism and anti-Israel narratives on American campuses, and that many young conservatives and young Jews “found in him a model of strength.”Chikli also disclosed that Kirk had planned to attend an upcoming government-backed conference in Jerusalem focused on nationalism and antisemitism.“His death is a tremendous loss,” Chikli said. “Not only to his family, but to the conservative movement worldwide and to all those who saw him as a defender of truth.”American-born musician Nissim Black opened the night by calling Kirk “a giant — a real giant — and his legacy is a legacy you can’t shake.”He said Kirk’s impact came from what he viewed as an unusual combination of moral clarity and public courage.“He was unapologetic when it came to morality and unapologetic when it came to standing for what was right,” Black said.He added that Kirk’s death left many feeling unexpectedly destabilized. “Even in his absence, you feel it — he held so many people together.”Throughout the evening, speakers emphasized Kirk’s efforts to confront antisemitism and misinformation, particularly on American campuses, where he frequently engaged student groups hostile to Israel.Several attendees repeated one of Kirk’s final recorded statements: “In the absence of courage, truth is an orphan.”As the event concluded, many attendees said the gathering felt less like a memorial and more like a call to continue the work they believed Kirk had championed: forthright discussion, public responsibility, and the defense of democratic values.One participant summed up the prevailing emotion while exiting the hall: “Charlie is gone, but the truth he fought for is not. And it’s up to us now.”The post ‘Charlie is gone, but the truth he fought for is not’: Jerusalem remembers Charlie Kirk appeared first on World Israel News.