A Message from Rabbi Bellows

August 3, 2025 /9 Av 5785 

Dear Beth Am Friends,

Today is Tisha B’Av, a solemn day that began last night (Saturday, August 2) and will conclude on Sunday evening. It commemorates the destruction of both the First Temple (586 BCE) and the Second Temple (70 CE)—two tragedies separated by centuries, yet occurring on the same date in the Hebrew calendar. Traditionally, we observe this day through fasting, communal prayer, and the chanting of Eichah (Lamentations).

For many Reform Jews, Tisha B’Av can be complicated. We do not yearn for the rebuilding of the Temple or a return to sacrificial worship. Still, this day offers a sacred space to mourn—both communally and personally. As Cantor Judith Borden Ovadia, z”l, wrote in the CCAR Haftarah Commentaries:

“The sort of weeping and wailing that God ordains is rarely witnessed in our culture today. We avoid public displays of emotion. Yet each of us experiences grief—whether it is the death of a loved one or the subtle sorrow that accompanies life’s transitions. Tisha B’Av gives us a ritual space for grieving, whether we connect through the text or tap into more personal sorrow. In doing so, we may begin to remove the psychological barriers that separate us from a true cheshbon hanefesh, an accounting of the soul.”

The Shabbat following Tisha B’Av is always Shabbat Nachamu—the Sabbath of Comfort. We read Isaiah’s words: “Comfort, comfort my People, Israel.” In this movement from destruction to consolation, we are reminded that grief and hope are interwoven—and even in our sorrow, healing begins to take root.

May healing and redemption come soon.

Blessings,

Rabbi Bellows