Tisha B'Av Archives

Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, is one of two major fast days in the Jewish calendar. It’s largely unknown to most Jews since it occurs during the summer (and thus not while… religious school is in session!). If you ever attended a Jewish camp, you might remember this day as one that lasted forever and left a sour taste (food pun intended) in your mouth. Tisha B’Av is the day in which both the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed. In addition, the Jewish people… >> Read More

Tisha B'Av

How Tisha B’Av Shows My Kids It’s OK to Experience Loss

Ilana Kurshan

A few weeks ago a street lamp collapsed in the empty Jerusalem parking lot my children and I cross through every morning on our way to their preschool. The giant light pole—at least 30 feet… tall—lay strewn across the parking lot, its wooden pole intact but its glass light shattered. I tried to navigate the stroller around the shards and the exposed electrical wires. Although we were not there when the lamp toppled, my kids were very shaken to see how the mighty had fallen, and even now, weeks after… >> Read More

Tisha B'Av

Why I Think Tisha B’Av Is the Yoga of Jewish Holidays

Nina Badzin

So I’m pretty sure Tisha B’Av is the yoga of Jewish holidays. But before I tell you why, I first have to acknowledge that there’s debate in Jewish circles about the compatibility of yoga and… Judaism. I’ve heard arguments that elements of yoga border on idolatry, and I’ve heard other knowledgeable Jews maintain that yoga is a form of exercise, not a religion. I’m one of those Jews who attends yoga classes for the body work, not as a spiritual endeavor, but I do happen to like the closing line… >> Read More

Holidays

Why Are There No Children’s Books About the Saddest Day of the Jewish Year?

Melissa Nunes-Harwitt

It seemed like an easy enough question. What books could I use to teach my preschooler about Tisha B’Av? Since my son was born, children’s books had heralded every event of his life, big or… small. We had Boynton for waking up and bedtime; "How Are You Peeling?" to discuss emotions, Berenstain Bears to assist with our move to a new city, and I had bought picture books for every Jewish holiday. But the first time I tried to explain why I wasn’t eating or drinking on a hot summer day,… >> Read More

mourning

Why I’m Grateful for the Saddest Day of the Jewish Year

Carla Naumburg

Tisha B'av starts tonight. I won't say that this is my favorite Jewish holiday, but it is, perhaps, the one I am most grateful for. In case you've forgotten, Tisha B'av is the saddest day of the… Jewish year, a day of fasting and mourning. It commemorates the destruction of both temples, as well as number of other tragedies that have befallen our people over the centuries. This is not an easy holiday for me to relate to, for many reasons. I am a Jew living in America in a time of… >> Read More

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