Weeping with those who weep this Tisha B’Av

Weeping with those who weep this Tisha B’Av

Next week, Jews around the world will observe the most significant day of communal mourning on the Jewish calendar, Tisha B’Av or the ninth of Av (Av on the Jewish calendar corresponds to the month of July or August). On this day each year, Jews mourn many woes which have befallen them over the centuries, most importantly the destruction of the First Temple in 586 B.C and the Second Temple in 70 A.D.

Tisha B’Av is a day of intense mourning, during which Jews fast and abstain from many pleasurable activities. The Book of Lamentations, along with other dirges, is read to commemorate their collective grief. As our Jewish friends and neighbors observe this solemn day, let us join them by weeping with those who weep (c.f. Romans 12:15).

On this day, we are reminded of many horrendous tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people over millennia—including the recent October 7 massacre. May we commit to standing with Israel and the Jewish people by praying for the peace of Jerusalem.