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It's the darkest of Jewish
holidays and also one of the
least observed. But Tisha B'Av
is becoming more of a focus
for many metro Detroit Jews.

-

loss of the Temples, loss of
Jewish autonomy, destruction of
German Jewry by the Crusaders,
the burning of the Talmud in
France and for those lost in the
Holocaust.
YIOP also observes Tisha
B'Av with the study of related
films, afternoon classes, prayer
and a focus on repentance.
Rabbi Weil said a recent surge
Rabbi Glogower of Ann Arbor opens doors to some of the mys-
of study and observance on
tery surrounding Tisha B'Av in a class co-sponsored by the
Tisha B'Av stems from the avail-
Agency for Jewish Education and Eilu v'Eilu.
ability of videotapes of Boston's
late Rabbi Joseph Soloveichic,
Wednesday
evening,
whose
understanding of the
SHELLI DORFMAN
Fred Levine of Farmington Hills takes notes in Rabbi
July
21.
The
25-hour
kinot
is
unsurpassed.
Editorial Assistant
Glogower class on July 7 at Congregation Beth Shalom.
In the Conservative commu-
holiday commemo-
rates many tragedies in
nity, Rabbi Aaron Bergman of
n 1991, a few observant
most intensive educational day" at
Jewish history, beginning with the
Congregation Beth Abraham Hillel
Tamarack campers, seeking a
the synagogue, "with Yom Kippur
destruction of the first Temple.
Moses called the Tisha B'Av service
place to go during mealtimes
the
most
intense
prayer
day."
It
is
marked
by
a
fast,
with
"fairly dramatic, intimate and pretty
while they observed the fast of
He said Tisha B'Av was "estab-
expressions
of
mourning,
including
powerful," adding, "There is some-
Tisha B'Av, were told no provisions
lished as a national day of Jewish
abstention from bathing, anointing,
thing to be said for feeling the pain
had been made as the request was
),
mourning," commemorating more
marital relations, wearing leather
of those who came before us.
infrequent.
than the
At BAHM, the lights are
Rick Goren,
destruction of
dimmed, candles lit, the curtain
Tamarack Camps
the two
removed from the ark. The congre-
development director,
Temples, but
gation is seated on the floor and
explained that
also tragedies of
kinot are chanted. In addition to
although "a big part of
the Jewish peo-
services, Rabbi Bergman will offer a
Jewish programming
ple throughout
class discussing lamentations, the
has always been the
history.
destruction and rebuilding of the
Tisha B'Av service,"
Rabbi Weirs congregation spends
and from the joyful act of learning
Temple and views on the Talmud as
there were no arrangements at that
much of the holiday studying and
Torah, with the exception of texts
the symbolic third Temple.
time for those observing the holiday.
(lamentations).
kinot
analyzing
Rabbi Herbert Yoskowitz of Adat
relevant
to
Tisha
B'Av.
Tisha B'Av, whose name trans-
Composed throughout Jewish histo-
Rabbi
Steven
Weil
of
Young
Israel
Shalom
Synagogue said study in the
lates to the ninth day of the Hebrew
ry; they include those written for the
Conservative community is directed
of Oak Park called Tisha B'Av "the
month of Av, begins this year on

I

Study, prayer, fasting highlight
local observance of Tisha BAv.

7/16

1999

Detroit Jewish News 41