All of Life's Ninths of Av
I have a story to tell you. It’s about a tiny bird. But I’ll come back to that.
Tishah B’Av has been set aside as a day for the Jewish community to remember the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple two thousand years ago.
Related Blog Posts on Tishah B'Av
The Exile of Tishah B’Av: What Is It We're Mourning?
The Jewish holiday of Tishah B’Av is the date on which both the First and Second Temples were destroyed, and a date to reflect on what it means to live in exile.
Countdown to Tishah B'Av: A Primer on the Three Weeks
If you use a Jewish calendar, you may have noticed this notation: “Tzom Tammuz,” the Fast of Tammuz. Read on to learn about the fast and what it signifies.
Why I’m Fasting on Tishah B’Av, and Why Now: A Reform Perspective
As a Reform Jew, I never felt called to fast on Tishah B’Av - until this year. Here's what changed my mind.
Confronting Death is an Important Part of Life
If on Yom Kippur we rehearse our own death, then on Tishah B’Av (observed last month), we begin the annual process of preparing for death. The seven-week period from Tishah B’Av to Rosh HaShanah provides an opportunity to cultivate our souls, to reestablish our relationship with God, and to reconcile with ourselves and others. We transform the potentially passive experience of judgment into an active process of self-awareness, acceptance, engagement, and transformation.
From Melancholy to Love: A Journey for the Jewish People and Me
I first learned about Tu B’Av during the summer I began rabbinical school in 1996.
How to Make Tishah B’Av Meaningful Today
As the only Jewish holiday occurring during the summer, the primary place in the North American Reform community where we find Tishah B’Av observed – for the most part – is in our summer camps. Nonetheless, Tishah B’Av can provide an opportunity for all Jews to reflect on serious questions concerning the meaning of the Jewish experience and our relationship with God.
Spain to Sephardic Jews: “Sorry, Please Come Home” - But Will They?
The expulsion of the Jews from Spain on July 31, 1492, occurred on the same day as the destruction of the first and second Jerusalem Temples. Jews the world over traditionally observe these and other historic tragedies on Tishah B’Av with prayers of mourning
Seeing Tishah B’Av as a Day of Inspiration
Let me start by being very clear: I don’t yearn for a return to sacrificial rites, holy priests, or incense-burning in the Temple. I don’t miss the Temple itself, nor is the Western Wall a particular source of inspiration or empowerment for me.
In fact, some
Tishah B'Av: What's in a Name?
William Shakespeare wrote in Romeo and Juliet, “What’s in a name?” The holiday of Tishah B’Av, which literally translates to the “Ninth of (the month of) Av” is so named to remember the destruction of the ancient temples in Jerusalem (in 586 BCE and 70 CE) said to have occurred on that day.
