Tisha B’Av, 9th of Av in the Hebrew calendar (July – August), is a sad day in Jewish history – a solemn time to remember the many tragedies that have shaped the Jewish people. The fasting is observed in late July or early August and marks the destruction of the First Temple (586 BCE) by the Babylonians and the Second Temple (70 CE) by the Romans.
Tisha B’Av also commemorates the fall of the city of Betar during the Bar Kokhba revolt (135 CE), the expulsion of Jews from the Iberian Peninsula in 1492, and countless other tragedies such as pogroms, exiles, and persecutions throughout history.
On this day, Jews observe a 24-hour fast with restrictions similar to Yom Kippur. The Book of Lamentations (Eicha) is read, Kinot is chanted, the Synagogue’s atmosphere appears melancholic, and mourners sit low to the ground, reflecting on loss.
