Tisha B’Av: The Day I’d Love to Sleep Through

What Am I Getting Into? 

For me, Tisha B’Av is the most difficult day in the Jewish calendar. Not because of the fasting and the difficulty of reading, understanding, and emotionally connecting with the poetic Hebrew of Eicha and the kinnot, but because, honestly, I don’t want to feel 3,500 years of my people’s pain! The pain from October 7th is already way too much this year. I need to also add the pain of the Holocaust, pogroms, the Expulsion from Spain, the Crusades, and the destruction of both Temples? 

Despite the discomfort, Tisha B’av is an important day, and I want to find meaning in it.

So, if you’re like me, you’re probably wondering how to connect to the pain of Tisha B’Av without being overwhelmed by it. Here’s how I do it… 

Take a Seat Next to Rabbi Fohrman 

In this collection of animated videos and live classes, Rabbi Fohrman takes on a journey deep into the depths of Jewish pain and tragedy. And it’s there where we can discover the intellectual and emotional tools to find true meaning on Tisha B’Av, our people’s darkest day. 

Compelling and Challenging Topics

Using his incisive Torah learning methodology, Rabbi Forhman tackles the most uncomfortable issues in surprising ways, including: human evil, Divine justice, mourning, the Spies, disunity in Israel, baseless hatred, the Messiah, redemption, Jewish survival, death, and coming to terms with loss and tragedy.

New This Year - Tisha B’Av 2024

Processing October 7th

The massacre of October 7th, and the painful ramifications that followed, have been in our hearts all year. This Tisha B’Av, the Jewish day of mourning, we will all be thinking about the worst tragedy to befall the Jewish people since the Holocaust. But how do we bridge the gap between this fresh, raw pain, and the much diluted, distant pain of ancient tragedies? 

That’s exactly the topic of Rabbi Fohrman’s brand new Tisha B’Av course available now.

My Favorite Tisha B’Av Videos

1. What We Lost When the Temple was Destroyed

This series world premiered last year in 2023. It explores the centrality of the Temple in Judaism, the Temple’s roots in Creation, and the purpose of existence. And it offers an answer to a burning question: Why so much sadness and mourning about a building? Watch this series to see how Tisha B’Av fits into a much bigger historical picture.

1. How Israel Split and the Road to Tisha B’Av

Over the last few years many hot-topic social, political, and religious issues have been dividing the Jewish people. Unfortunately, we have experience with breakage and fracture throughout history, but fortunately, we know how to fix it. This insightful series will show us what causes disunity, and how the Jewish people can stay unified despite our differences.

The Most Watched Tisha B’Av Course

Rachel’s Tears

Is there such a thing as purposeful mourning? How do we channel our pain and anguish productively, without allowing it to consume us or others? Rabbi Fohrman explores these essential questions through the lens of Rachel, the mother of our people. This video series, originally created for Tisha B’av years ago, might even be more relevant in today’s post-October 7th world. Rachel’s story will teach us about the power of mourning as a catalyst for growth — on Tisha B’Av and every day of the year.