Free Republic

Tisha b’Av is the saddest day of the Jewish calendar. On the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, Jews remember the tragedies that have marked our history, beginning with the destruction of our Temple in Jerusalem in 586 B.C.E. and continuing through the centuries of expulsions, pogroms and massacres to the catastrophes of our own era. The day is marked by the signs and customs of mourning. From sundown Monday night until nightfall Tuesday evening, Jews engage in a complete fast—abstaining from eating, drinking, bathing, wearing leather shoes, putting on cosmetics and from sexual activity. During the synagogue...

There was a noticeably quieter atmosphere along the length of Tel Aviv’s Rothschild Boulevard on Monday evening, as Tisha Be’av came in after sunset. Trance parties and impromptu jazz parties were replaced by a series of lectures and a number of campsites where readings of the Book of Lamentations were held. At busier spots throughout the boulevard, such as the Student Union headquarters and the main kitchen at the corner of Rothschild and Marmorek, signs were posted calling on people to respect the fast, and notifying passersby that there would be no music parties, performances or entertainment scheduled for the...