Tisha b'Av

The Jewish holiday of Tisha b’Av, the 9th day of the Hebrew month of Av, started at sundown today. This holiday commemorates, amongst other things, the destruction of both the first and second Temples in Jerusalem. This is a very sad day on the Jewish calendar, and is observed by reading from the book of Lamentations while seated on the floor.

As you might imagine, the observance here in Jerusalem at the Western Wall is a significant event. I got to the Wall at about 6:30, a little over an hour before sundown, so that I could participate in an afternoon service and then sit back and take in the sights and sounds or Tisha b’Av at the Wall, where the incidents actually happened.

To say the least, I was not disappointed. As the evening drew near more and more people started arriving. Just listening to the prayers of those present was enough to feel the sorrow being expressed. This was a very moving experience, and I am really glad that I had the opportunity to witness it.

I have attached pictures taken as the evening approached and progressed, followed by a panorama I created from just outside the enclosed area set aside for prayer. As you can plainly see, most of the area is occupied.

There is a tradition here that people meet at a park near the US Consulate and then march from the park to the Old City, around the city and then to the Kotel (Western Wall). The pictures attached were taken BEFORE this group of over 1,000 people arrived. (I saw them approaching the Old City just as I was leaving. Traffic was blocked off in all directions, and it took about 20 minutes for the entire group to pass by.)