Tisha B’Av is, literally, the ninth of Av – a month in the Hebrew calendar. It is the culmination of a period called The Three Weeks, a somber time in the Jewish calendar. Tisha B’Av is a sunset-to-nightfall fast commemorating the destruction of, both, the First and Second Temples.

What is Tisha B’Av?
The date for this day of mourning was not randomly chosen. Both the First Temple and the Second Temple were destroyed, years apart, on this particular day in history. Many other disastrous situations occurred to the Jewish people on the ninth of Av. Ten of the twelve scouts sent out by Moses to assess the Promised Land returned with a negative report, causing the Jewish people to panic and G-d to anger at their lack of faith. G-d then declared that no one from that particular generation would enter the Land. The Bar Kokhba revolt against Rome also faced failure on the ninth of Av. The Jewish people faced expulsion from England in 1290 and from Spain in 1492 on this date. And, the deportation of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto began on the eve of Tisha B’Av in 1942.

The customs attached to Tisha B’Av:
* Tisha B’Av is a fast day. There is no eating or drinking.
* We do not wash or bathe.
* We do not use creams or oils.
* We do not wear leather shoes.
* We do not have sexual relations.

There are additional mourning customs that many follow as well:
* We read from the Book of Lamentations, the Book of Job, or other sad Jewish texts or pieces that discuss the mourning laws.
* We do not study Torah.
* We sit on low stools until noon.
* Work is avoided.
* We refrain from greeting each other.

Don’t let the day pass by like any other day.
The Jewish people have survived calamity after calamity throughout history. Our persisting survival is part of our covenant with G-d. One can apply this to the collective history of our people or to our own individual lives. No matter how observant or non-observant we are, we are part of this covenant. It is our past that binds us together, and the historical chronology is congruent throughout the various sects of Judaism. Recognizing that is one way to bind us all together.

Tisha B’Av is a time of mourning. If unable to connect with the tragedies that befell us in our history, one can take time to mourn the individual losses we experience throughout a lifetime. The transformation of something tragic into something meaningful is as strong a Jewish value as any other.

Our People is a people of growth. If we are not constantly growing, we are not living. Sometimes growing means struggling. Our People is an educated people. Why not ensure that we are educated in our own religion? The Jewish People are a people whose history will continue to influence its future for centuries to come.

As you mourn on Tisha B’Av, spend some time contemplating what our collective history means to you. Find a new pathway to commitment and embrace faith all over again.