July 17, 2021 at 9:30pm in the Tent
Tisha B'Av
Tisha B'Av (the 9th of Av) commemorates the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem as well as many other Jewish catastrophes which are said to have fallen on that date. It is a 25 hour fast, the only one besides Yom Kippur. On Erev Tisha B'Av it is customary to sit on the ground or low benches, congruent with mourning rituals, and chant the Book of Lamentations (Eicha) in a slow and dirge-like tune, along with other knot (elegies).
Some may wonder about the relevance of this fast given the magnificent rebuilding of our Holy City. However, the 2nd Temple, we are taught, was destroyed because of baseless hatred among Jews. Such hatred - negation of the other, speaking hateful words, the inability to see one another as sisters and brothers - continues to tear away at the fabric of our community. Zion, glorious though she is, still does not dwell in peace. Tisha B'Av encompasses all of these feelings along with the grief that our world is so far from the world we have dreamed. As relevant a holiday as any I could imagine.
Jewish Holiday Timeline
Calendar of Jewish Holidays
Tue, July 27 2021 18 Av 5781