Description

Meaning the 9th of Av (a date in the Hebrew calendar), this day is synonymous with mourning and suffering. It was the date on which the first and second Temples were destroyed by enemies, beginning almost 2,000 years of exile for the Jewish people. A series of other tragedies have befallen the Jews on this date, such as expulsion from Spain (1492). It is a fast day, where people do not greet each other or dress in finery. The Western Wall in the Old City (which remains from the Second Temple) is a focal point. At night the wall is filled with people mourning the temple's destruction (some of whom bring mattresses to spend the night). The worshippers read from the scroll of Lamentations.