| Israelis commemorate Tisha B’av |
Thousands of years after the Temple’s destruction, tradition is preserved • Large crowds visited the Western Wall plaza to commemorate Tisha B’av.
|
Two-thousand-year old memory. Mourners at the Western Wall
|
Photo credit: Lior Mizrahi
|
On Monday evening, the Tisha B’av fast began, a 25-hour day of mourning, fasting and national memory. The fast ends on Tuesday evening at sundown. It is important for fasters to remember not only the destruction of both Temples, but how to preserve their health.
In Jerusalem, where Tisha B’av also commemorates the city’s fall in the time of the Great Revolt, the traditional Tisha B’av procession took place on Monday night. The participants read the Book of Lamentations in Independence Park in the city center, and then walked from the American consulate to the Old City and the Western Wall. The Western Wall plaza attracted thousands of visitors on Monday night, who sat on the ground, read the book of Lamentations, recited dirges and mourned the destruction of the two Temples.
An easy and safe fast
Tisha B’av is considered one of the most difficult fasts due to the oppressive heat. Israel’s emergency medical services receive dozens of calls from fasters who fainted or didn’t feel well on this day. The director of Israel’s Magen David Adom asked the public to „avoid all strenuous physical activity throughout the fast and to stay in air-conditioned spaces in order to minimize potential heat-related injuries.”
How to fast
Dehydration: High temperatures, spending time in the heat can be dangerous to fasters. Women in their third trimester of pregnancy should avoid fasting. All other pregnant women should consult their doctors. When the fast is over, start by drinking a room-temperature beverage with a simple slice of cake or two slices of bread with cheese. After an hour you can eat a light meal.
