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. On a basic level, I understood it to be one of those minor Jewish holidays that did not have a “real name,” but was referred to simply by its calendrical date – the 15th of Av. Clearly a post-biblical holiday.
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.
How Do Reform Jews Understand Tishah B’Av?
antisemitism
Irrational hatred of Jews.
What We Can Learn from Holocaust Survivors About the Human Spirit
Following World War II, many Jews were confined to displaced persons (DPs) camps in Allied-occupied countries. Among them were my parents and parents-in-law.
pogrom
Organized attack on Jewish communities in Eastern Europe during the 19th and early 20th century.
(the) Shoah
Hebrew word meaning "catastrophe", referring to the Holocaust.
Tishah B'Av
"Ninth of Av;" A traditional day of mourning the destruction of both ancient Temples in Jerusalem.
Yom HaShoah
Holocaust Remembrance Day, on which we remember the Holocaust and honor the memory of those who perished.