Tisha B'Av Archives

As my children have grown enthusiastic about the Jewish holidays – of which there is no lack – so have I. If the Passover Seder had previously seemed somewhat esoteric to me, watching my… three-year-old lisp through the Four Questions brought me new levels both of joy and attachment to the holiday. Other holidays are a natural part of the yearly cycle, too. Everyone's heard of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur: The High Holidays, as we call them, which even get days off in some Public School system. Many… >> Read More

Tisha B'Av

So, What Exactly Is Tisha B’Av?

Ilana Garber

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

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