Tisha B’Av is an annual fast day on the Jewish calendar traditionally marking historical tragedies that befell the Jewish community (the destruction of the first and second temples, in 586 BCE and 70 CE respectively, the expulsion of Sephardic Jews from Spain in 1492, the Nazi Holocaust, etc). Tisha B’Av marks the beginning of the season of teshuvah - spiritual, personal, communal repair and reconciliation.
Today in 2026, we weave into our day of lamentation the ongoing destruction of Palestinian life by Israel. Inspired by the invitation of our tradition to commemorate historical jewish communal losses through fast and lamentation, our hearts turn to contemporary Jewish communal harms. A history of destruction and tragedy leads us to rise in solidarity with Palestinians facing the violence of the Israeli military. Tisha B’av reminds us of the inviolable dignity of all human life.
On July 22-23, Jewish communities across the US - in cities big and small - are coming together to hold Tisha B’Av rituals in the streets with traditional expressions of grief: public fast, chanting Eicha, and kri'a. Together we will demand action by our members of congress to begin the process of repair by re-funding UNRWA and passing the Block the Bombs Act.