Dear Friends,
The saddest day on the Jewish calendar is the Ninth of Av, “Tisha b'Av," the date on which both our Holy Temples were destroyed, and exile, persecution and spiritual darkness began.
During this time-period we fast, eschew pleasurable activities and amenities, and lament the destruction of the Holy Temple and the the worlds exile.
It is a tradition, however, that Tisha b'Av is also the birthday of our Redeemer. This symbolizes the idea that from the ashes of the destroyed temple will rise an incomparably magnificent edifice; exile will give birth to redemption. Thus Tisha b’Av is also a day of anticipation and hope, for “One who mourns Jerusalem will merit seeing her happiness."
One of the core principles in Judaism is the belief that better days are ahead: a world of universal peace, and peace among humanity.
This picture expresses this in a powerful way. It is worth sharing, to give you strength in your own journey, in the midst of the hate, anti-semitism and negativity. Stand up and be counted! Let Shoshana be an inspiration!
Be fruitful and multiply!
Words form social media…
“In front of her eyes she watched Mengele taking her mother. Shoshana Obitz herself survived Auschwitz. After the war, she met Dov, who lost his wife and four daughters in the camps. They married and came to Haifa. She worked as a seamstress and helped him run the chicken shop. Shoshana on her birthday and asked for one gift: that all her descendants come together to the Western Wall.
Am Yisrael Chai! ”
As Tisha B’Av approaches, we pray for God to see the unity and resolve of our people. May our hostages be swiftly reunited with their loving families, even before the fast begins. Let us hope for a future where pain, suffering, and tears are no more, and our world is blessed with peace and healing.
Rabbi Fishel & Ettie Zaklos