A Nation of Remembrance, Tisha B'Av in Israel

Today is Tisha B'Av the ninth of the Hebrew month Av. It is a day of commemoration mourning, and penance. 

Understanding the culture of Israel is a great challenge to many new 'Olim' or immigrants like me. Israel is a nation where the Jewish faith and history are very much a part of daily life. It is a nation where the horrors of the Holocaust are not and must not be forgotten. We remember the destruction of the ancient temples in Jerusalem in our hearts and prayers. "Next Year in Jerusalem" is the prayer that mourns our past suffering, but also gives us hope for the present and future. Tisha B’Av is a day on which Jews commemorate these events. This day mourns the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem and all suffering endured by the people of the Book. It is a day of fasting and other acts of observance. Businesses and schools may be open, depending on the type of service or affiliation.

My most satisfying experience in Israel was working in a 'Moadonit' or after school program in my Synagogue, Or Hadash in Haifa. This event occurred during Tisha B’Av in the summer of 2009. It helped me to understand the Israeli culture and appreciate the challenges, struggles, and at times great sorrows involved in building this nation.

Forty kids aged six to ten enjoyed various summer activities including volleyball, soccer, and dodge ball. The director, Yaffa, also gave a one hour presentation describing the building and destruction of both Temples. We also discussed the Holocaust and Israel’s Memorial Day. More than twenty thousand Israelis have died in open conflicts or by acts of terrorism since the rebirth of the Jewish state in 1948. The Holocaust is almost always in the minds and hearts of Israeli Jews. We must never forget the murders of millions whose only sin was being born Jewish or having Jewish ancestors.

We had a short question and answer period after the presentation. I was surprised that none of the kids complained or asked why we talked about these topics during summer fun time. I asked my two English speaking “friends” in the group Naomi (8) and Shachar (7) to explain everyone’s cooperation. Naomi spent two years in Boston and answered in wonderful English; “most Israeli kids understand that remembering the past protects us in the present and future”. Shachar, an American olah, agreed and showed great pride in her new Israeli citizenship.

The following day, we had a group of visitors from Boston come to visit the Synagogue. The group was composed of roughly one hundred adults and kids from a sister congregation. We enjoyed dinner together and then went on a tour of the Temple’s bomb shelter. The shelter is an area of three hundred square feet that also includes a separate bathroom, shower, and a first aid room. During the second war with Lebanon the twenty kids from our day school and fifty local children spent their days alternating between the shelter and our school facility. Each time a siren wailed the kids and staff ran down the three floors from the classroom to safety. Our previous past congregation president Jesse led the tour and explained to us that many Haifa residents left the city during the fighting but many chose to stay.

Jesse, who is a physician and American born, mentioned to me that my friend Naomi and her family chose to stay. Six years after immigrating to Israel I have sadly experienced the fighting in Gaza as a resident of Haifa. The need to seek safety in a bomb shelter is a terrifying experience. My friends and family in both Israel and Palestine went through the days filled with anxiety about their well being and that of others. Many of these people were raised with the need to sleep in safe places. Children were forced to miss classes; parents stayed away from work due to threat of missile attacks. 

When will all of this ever end?  History has taught the people of Israel and the Jewish nation that we must have a nation of our own. The options could be even far worse than the struggle to defend ourselves.