Tisha B’Av commemorates the Jewish people’s catastrophes, beginning with the destruction of the first and second temples. As Jews, we derive great meaning from the history, sacred narrative, and personal stories of generations past. Over time, newer catastrophes have come to be remembered on Tisha B’Av.

In our study session, we will discuss how we can respond to past calamities. What sense of meaning and purpose should we glean from them? How can we rediscover the many centuries in which Jews lived in relative peace with their neighbors? How can we relate to more recent events such as the Holocaust, which are contemporary enough that there are people alive who experienced them, but from which there will soon be no survivors?