A historic Tisha B ’Av reflection and thought.

In 1979, I came to Israel on a young adult’s tour with a group from London. The group was based in Netanya, and the tours started from there.

We had a “free weekend,” which I used to stay in Yerushalayim with family who lived in Keren Hayesod. The day after Shabbat was the fast of the 9^th of Av. I went to the local Shool for Eichah, but it did not feel very much different to the Shool in which I davened in London.

In the hope of trying to get more of a feeling, I decided I would go to the Kotel. In those days, large amounts of modern day Yerushalayim had not been built. That being the case, one could see the Jaffa gate from the back of the flat and walk in a straight line down and up the hill from the back of the flat to the gate. Being younger and a lot fitter, I was able to do this. As it was now later on Tisha B ‘Av night, everyone had finished Eichah, most of the people there were like me, looking for extra meaning by being near the site of our destroyed Temples.

I returned to the flat with a greater sense of the day.

In the morning, I returned to the same Shool for Shacharit and Kinnot. Again, I did not get the sense of inspiration for which I had hoped.

Following this, I went to Yad Vashem, which was very meaningful. As someone who lost a section of his family in the Shoah, it epitomised what the dispersion after the Churban had resulted in. (Many years later when I visited, I saw a picture of a member of the murdered community in Salonika. I took a photo to show to a friend back in London with the same surname. It was his Uncle Hy ”D).

My final stop in the afternoon was the district of Sanhedria in Yerushalayim. Although it is not usually a day for socialising, this was the only day my friend had to see an important family friend. The husband, Chazan Roth z”l,, a Holocaust survivor had been the Chazzan in Edgware Adass. I did not know his wife, but my friend’s mother was very close with her. During that brief visit, Mrs Roth’s sleeve moved, just enough to see the numbers on her forearm, reinforcing the pain of Yad Vashem.

I went with the Chazan to his little Shool in Sanhedria for Mincha and Maariv (as planned). One does not to put on Tallis and Tefillin on Tisha B ‘Av until Mincha. Being from chutz la’aretz it had not occurred to me that the Kohanim would “duchan” and bless those in attendance. Following Maariv, as I walked back to the Chazan’s flat, it occurred to me:

We have just been through Tisha B’av, mourning the loss of two temples. We recited Kinnot which reflect the churban as well as other tragedies such as the crusades, inquisition and other mass murders in Europe.

And yet…….

We the Jewish people are still here. There are no Babylonian or Greek empires anymore. I  never saw a Roman legionnaire walking through London.

The Jewish peoples have survived despite all the traumas that we had been through.

We are here for a reason.

Many years later I learnt Gemara Makkot. The final pages deal with the story of Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues on Temple Mount. While they were all sad in seeing the destruction Rabbi Akiva was happy. They could not understand his behaviour.

Rabbi Akiva explained that the prophecy that foretold of the destruction also foretold of the rebuilding of Jerusalem. This comforted Rabbi Akiva’s colleagues. This piece of the Talmud reinforced my belief from the visit many years earlier.

We are blessed to  see from the sixth Bracha of the Sheva Brachot under the chupah, that in the cities of Judah and streets of Jerusalem there are weddings and the other requests in that  bracha happening.

In this difficult period for our people may the prophecy that Rabbi Akiva referenced be fulfilled quickly, when peace will return to our beloved country with the final redemption.