Making Meaning of Tisha B’Av Through the Lens of Literature
When you have come into the land
that the Eternal your God is giving to you as a heritage,
and you have possessed it and settled there,
you shall take from among all the first fruits of the ground
that you bring forth from your land-
Tishah B'Av: Words and Visions
Rabbi Oren Hayon teaches: "Reading Deuteronomy is a very different experience from reading the rest of Torah.
The Modern Day Value of Tishah B'Av
During the summer months the Torah's calendar contains no holidays save the weekly blessing of Shabbat. However, post biblical historical realities bring us a most significant commemoration on Tishah B'Av, the Ninth of Av.
Tishah B’Av: Reflections from a Reform Jew
The ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av has come to symbolize a day of tragedy for the Jewish people.
Observing Tisha B'Av: Finding Meaning as a Reform Jew
My first summer at URJ Camp Harlam I was given the task of leading a service for Tisha B'Av. I grabbed a Gates of Prayer out of the camp sifriyah (library) and simply followed its lead.
Tishah B’Av - A Day of Reflection
Tishah B'Av means "ninth of Av" and refers to a traditional Jewish day of fasting and mourning. Av corresponds to July or August of the secular year.
On Tishah B’Av, Feeling the Loss from the Flames
On Yom Kippur, we ask “Who by fire?” Sadly, this year at Tishah B’Av we already know who - the 19 firefighters who perished in Arizona.
An Absence of Color and Light: A Poem for Tishah B'Av
We sat among the willows,
and we wept,
there by the river
that flowed
clear and cold and swift,
--branches dancing,
barely dancing--
as they swayed
and swept the ground.
We stood among the weeping trees,
Prayers mixed with
visions of ash.
Why I Don't Mourn the Temple
My son’s birthday is in July. Last year, we sent out invitations to his bunkmates for a typical kindergartener’s birthday bash - pizza and ice cream cake at a moon-bounce place.
Catastrophe in America: Racism, Violence, & Tishah B'Av
I had a friend in college named Ray. He was a good guy. He had a lot of the qualities I thought I lacked when I was in college. Ray was good looking, athletic and charismatic. He was a running back on the school's football team.