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A Day Of An

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any people look
upon Jewish his-
tory as a chain of
terrible events
and tragedies. Although misfor-
tune has accompanied the Jew-
. ish people over the past
centuries, it is just one aspect of
a richly complex civilization.
Yet it is clear we have suf-
fered. By tradition, we designate
one day a year as the collective
expression of our anguish. That
day is the ninth of the Jewish
month of Av, known in Hebrew
as Tisha b'Av. This year, Tisha
b'Av begins at 8:40 p.m. Mon-
day, Aug. 11, and concludes at
9:29 Tuesday, Aug. 12.
The core events commemo-
rated on Tisha b'Av are the de-
struction of the First Temple (in
586 BCE) and Second Temple
(in 70 CE) in Jerusalem. Jewish
tradition tells us that the de-
struction of the Temples was
more than the loss of buildings.
The Temple was the tangible
symbol of God's unique relation-

U1S

E LIZABETH APPLEBAUM EDITOR

of Tisha b'Av include not wear-
some Jews do not hold wed-
pecially true during the
ing
leather shoes and not engag-
dings or other celebrations, es-
Crusades, when entire
ing in marital relations. And
pecially those that include live
Jewish communities
from the evening of Tisha b'Av
music. The first day of Av (Aug.
were wiped out; dur-
until about noon the next day,
4) begins "the nine days," dur-
ing the Chmelnicki
,
„:4
we sit only on the floor or on
ing which time we traditionally
massacres in the
low stools.
do not eat meat or drink wine
1640s, which devas-
Synagogue services on the
(except on Shabbat) and do not
tated the Jewish
evening of Tisha b'Av include
swim or bathe for pleasure
communities of east-
the recitation of Eicha, the book
(swimming or bathing for reha-
ern Poland; and, of
of Lamentations. This is fol-
bilitative or hygienic purposes
course, in our time
lowed
by the reading of five
are, naturally, permitted).
with the Holocaust.
kinot, dirges and elegies. After
The fast of Tisha b'Av is one
Tisha b'Av actual
services
the next morning,
of two 25-hour fasts on the Jew-
ly is the culmina-
A model of the Second
about 40 more kinotare recit-
ish calendar; the other is Yom
Temple, on display at the tion of a three-part
Holy Land Hotel in
ed. Many were composed in
Kippur. It is regarded as of such
mourning process
Jerusalem.
the Middle Ages. Contempo-
importance that it must be ob-
that begins with the
rary liturgical poets have written
ship with the Jewish people. As
served by even pregnant and
fast of the 17th of Tammuz (July
kinotfor the tragedies of our
long as the Temple stood, all of
nursing mothers, who are ex-
22). That fast, which lasts from
time,
especially the Holocaust.
the 613 mitzvot (command-
empt
from
all
other
fasts
except
sunup to sundown, begins what
ments) of the Torah were ap- • is known as "the three weeks."
Yom Kippur. Other restrictions
•
plied to daily Jewish life,
During this period,
•
it • • • * • • ik • • • • • a • • * • • • • • • •
including such key events as
•
the three pilgrimage holidays • •
•
(Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot). • U U
Without the Temple, tradition • •
tunity to take a long, quiet fam
usual, with the TV and CD play-
According to 1-lalachah (Jew
teaches us that our relation-
ily wall( (assuming parents
ers off. You can explain that
. ish law), Jews are obligated to
ship with God has changed,
have the strength).
Mommy and Daddy are not eat-
. observe Tisha b'Av upon reach-
that God has "hidden His
It is traditional to visit a
ing
because
it
is
a
sad
time
and
ing
bat-
or
bar-mitzvah
age
(12
•
face" from us — although the
cemetery on Tisha b'Av. If your
that long ago painful things
f or girls and 13 for boys). Since
divine presence is always a
children understand what a
happened on this day. Although
adolescents may have trouble
part of our lives, it is not al-
cemetery is, and if you have
little ones sit just about every-
• fasting (not to mention
ways obvious and we must
family members buried nearby,
where anyway, they may actual-
• adults...), consider filling up on
strive to feel and find it.
you could take children there
ly enjoy the novelty of being
• pasta and bread the afternoon
Tisha b'Av also mourns the
to visit graves of your relatives.
only on the floor.
• before the fast. (Long-liitance
fact that the destruction of the
You can engage older chil-
Older children, of course,
4 : runners have been "carbohy-
Temples was accompanied by
dren in various discussions,
can readily gasp the meaning
: drate loading" for years now.)
the exile and dispersion of the
such as the meaning of suffer-
of Tisha b'Av, and although
The meal immediately before
Jewish people, the loss of the
t,
ing and appropriate responses
they are exempt from fasting,
: the fast traditionally consists of
Land of Israel and its occupa-
0,
to it; the nature of anti-Semi-
they could abstain from wear-
hard-boiled eggs, bread and
tion by foreign peoples.
tism and its effect on both Jews
ing leather shoes, going to the
water.
Through the generations, in- : Even younger children aged
and gentiles; and how we can
pool, movie theater or mall.
dividual Jewish communities
have faith in God and continue
On the afternoon of Tisha
: 3-5 can be part of the family's
added their own calamities to
our belief in Judaism in the face
b'Av, one may sit in a regular
Tisha b'Av observance. The
the misfortunes commemorat-
of tragedy
chair, and it could be an oppor
:house will be more quiet than
• • • • • • • • • • • • •
ed on Tisha b'Av. This was es-
•• • • • • •
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wh a

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