Tisha B'Av 2026: What the Jewish summer fast day is all about - explainer

Tisha B'Av, observed on the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, is a solemn fast day for Jews worldwide. It commemorates the destruction of both the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, marking a profound historical loss.

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Tisha B'Av is first and foremost a fast day, during which Jews abstain from all food and water for approximately 25 hours, from sunset until nightfall the next day.

The observance involves abstaining from all food and water for approximately 25 hours, from sunset to nightfall the following day. During this period, the Book of Lamentations, a poetic lament by the prophet Jeremiah over Jerusalem's destruction and the subsequent exile, is read.

While most famously linked to the Temple destructions, Tisha B'Av also marks a series of other calamities throughout Jewish history. Traditions suggest it was the day the 12 spies delivered a negative report on the Land of Israel, leading to a generation's exile from the desert. Other historical tragedies associated with the day include the fall of Betar and the Bar Kochba revolt, expulsions from England, France, and Spain, the beginning of World War I, the approval of the Nazi's Final Solution, and the Warsaw Ghetto deportations.

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While most commonly associated with the destruction of the First and Second Temples, Tisha B'Av actually marks a number of calamities throughout Jewish history.

Orthodox Jews adhere to specific mourning practices on Tisha B'Av, such as refraining from washing except for basic hygiene and limiting Torah study to passages concerning mourning and Tisha B'Av itself. The day serves as a collective remembrance of historical suffering and a call for introspection.

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You wept needlessly, and I [will] establish for you [a night] of weeping for [future] generations.