In contemporary times, Tisha B’av has become more than a day to commemorate all of these moments of destruction. It has become a day when we join together as a Jewish community to remember what we have lost and to look forward to a world without senseless hatred and violence.
Tisha B’av is a day of mourning and fasting, but as we move through the day itself, the tradition teaches us to mourn less and focus more on our hopes for the future. As the Talmud teaches, on Tisha B’av we must remember that “not to mourn at all is impossible…but to mourn overmuch is also impossible (Baba Batra, 60b).”
There are a number of values and lessons that come out of this holiday. The importance of remembering our suffering as a people, the hope that we have for our future, and the recognition that, while painful memories are important to recall, they cannot be the basis for living and practicing Judaism.
Please join us tonight and/or tomorrow to commemorate this important day:
· Tonight (Monday 8/8) at 8:00 PM (evening services will include the traditional reading of the book of Eikha, Lamentations)
· Tomorrow morning (Tuesday 8/9) at 8:00 AM
· Tomorrow evening (Tuesday 8/9) at 7:00 PM (reminder: talit and tefillin are worn during this evening service)
PLEASE NOTE: All services have now moved to our Monmouth Road building.
If you cannot join us, I invite you to find one thing to do to commemorate this important day. Some suggestions: Try to fast for part or all of the day, an important symbol of our mourning on this holiday. Take a few moments to remember someone in your family who perished in the Holocaust. Light a Yahrtzeit candle in memory of all those who lost their lives on the Ninth of Av. Or, in keeping with the second half of the day, take a few moments to think about the State of Israel, that we are so blessed to have in our lives, and the role that Israel plays in your life.
For more information on this holiday, check out the following: http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Tisha_BAv.shtml