So already, before I present to you a poem I wrote yesterday and revised this morning, a few pieces of information—and one apology.

• The Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av begins on Saturday evening, August 2 and extends through Sunday, August 3. These Gregorian 2025 calendar dates correspond to the ninth day of the Jewish month of Av 5785 and the evening before it. On 9 Av, the destruction of both Temples and a number of other terrible events in Jewish history occurred.*

• Jews are supposed to fast and mourn on this day, which commemorates the loss of human lives, as well as of the places where Jews communally and individually conducted their religious and personal lives.

• My nuclear family didn’t observe this holiday— I think we were often on summer vacation when it came around. I explored it more when I decided to become more intentionally and knowledgeably Jewish.

• I still have an ambivalent relationship with this holiday, though intellectually I understand its purpose and its place in Jews’ atonement-centered spiritual preparation for the High Holy Days.

• I may have to atone for writing this poem.

• “Tanakh” is the Hebrew word (thank you, Google AI) for “the Hebrew Bible, . . . the foundational religious text of Judaism. The term "Tanakh" is an “acronym formed from the first Hebrew letters of its three main sections: Torah (תּוֹרָה, ‘Instruction’ or ‘Law’) . . ., Nevi'im (נְבִיאִים, ‘Prophets’) . . ., [and] Ketuvim (כְּתוּבִים, ‘Writings’) . . ..”

• I am hoping that when I publish this post, the form of the poem will be preserved; if it’s not, I’ll put a comment to that effect below the post.

• My apologies to those of you who receive email notifications of my posts: I’ve posted a lot during the month of July, more than I told you to expect I would.

So now that you’ve been briefed, warned, and apologized to, here’s my poem related to this year’s holiday of Tisha B’Av.

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Tisha B’Av ‘25

 

In my shame,

     I can’t grieve for

          your destruction

 

 this year.

     All seems

          artifice

 

despite your

     eternal holiness

          humbly upheld

 

prescribed

     and guided

          by Tanakh.

 

I believe

     what I behold

          in the news today,

 

though tragedy,

     I’m told,

          is propaganda

 

by which my eyes and heart,

     I’m told,

          are made fools.

 

What I see today

     made rubble

          are clinics

 

and tubes

     that once carried

          fluids and meds,

 

healing those

     into whom

          they flowed.

 

Hostages, I don’t forget you

     or your loved ones

          huddled in safe rooms.

 

But the buildings

     I mourn this season

          this year

 

are schools, houses,

     and hospitals

          in another city.

 

Forgive me.

  

* Screen shot of this painting—”The Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans A.D. 70, David Roberts 1850 Collection of Yeshiva University Museum” accompanying the following article: Farber, Z. (2025). Tisha B’Av: On what day were the Jerusalem temples destroyed? The Torah—com, Academic Torah Institute. https://www.thetorah.com/article/tisha-b-av-on-what-day-were-the-jerusalem-temples-destroyed

** Screen shot of photo by Dawoud Abu Alkas accompanying the following article: Reuters. (2024, April 3). Many patients of destroyed Gaza hospital will die if not evacuated, WHO chief warns. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/many-patients-destroyed-gaza-hospital-will-die-if-not-evacuated-who-chief-warns-2024-04-03/