Tisha B’Av - Great Britain - Word for the Weekend

Tisha B’Av - Great Britain - Word for the Weekend Jacob Prasch Tisha B'Av, which translates to the "Ninth of Av" in Hebrew, is an annual fast day in Judaism that commemorates several major disasters in Jewish history that have coincidentally occurred on this date. The most significant events remembered on Tisha B'Av are: 1. The destruction of both the First Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BCE, and the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 CE. These Temples were located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, a site of major significance in Judaism. 2. The crushing of the Bar Kokhba revolt against Roman rule in 135 CE, resulting in the death of more than 500,000 Jewish people and the destruction of 985 villages. 3. The expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492 also occurred on this day. On Tisha B'Av, many Jews engage in fasting and mourning rituals, much like on Yom Kippur. It is a day of reflection, prayer, and learning. It's customary to read from the Book of Lamentations (Eicha in Hebrew), a biblical book that mourns the destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple. Tisha B'Av usually falls in late July or early August in the Gregorian calendar. The fast begins at sunset on the eve of Tisha B'Av and ends at nightfall the next day.