Your/Our Life Falls Apart Once Again

By tradition, the ninth day of Av was the date of the fall of both the First and Second Temples, the most terrible day of the year. Modern tradition also associates this date with the expulsion of Jews from Spain during the Inquisition. Even though these catastrophes now seem remote to us, overshadowed by terrible events in modern times, it is a time of year when Jews traditionally refrain from celebrations such as weddings and parties.

Tisha B'Av is a major fast day, with the fast beginning at sunset and lasting until the next night. Like the fast of Yom Kippur, it is also traditional not to bathe, and to avoid sexual relations, wearing of leather shoes, and anointing.

At Beth Sholom, on the evening of Tisha B'Av, we gather seated on the floor, and only with the light of flashlights or candles, we chant the scroll of Eicha (Lamentations) and recite mourning prayers.

During the morning service, we do not put on tefillin as is usual, but delay this until Mincha (afternoon service). We once again recite Eicha. At Mincha, there is a special Torah reading and Haftarah reading.

2011/5771

Our Tisha B’Av program will center around Beth Sholom’s participation in the “Year of Civil Discourse” program. A group of Beth Sholom congregants met through the year to learn ways to create dialogue around difficult issues rather than heated debate.

At 6:30 p.m., after minyan, there will be a light meal served in the Main Meeting Room. Our program will begin at 7:15 p.m., when Marilyn Heiss will moderate a panel of three participants—Becky Buckwald, Marilyn Rosner, and Lucia Sommers. They will speak on their experience with the group: what perceptions they came in with, what they gained in the process, and how they can access what they learned as our community moves forward.

Rabbi Hyman will give a closing teaching, and we will then move into the Gronowski Family Chapel for Ma’ariv and the chanting of Eicha, Lamentations.