Judaism Unbound Episode 494: Tisha B’av (the 9th of Av) 2025
Dan and Lex discuss the inherent potential, along with the limitations, of the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’av (the 9th of Av) — understood by many to be the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. What does it mean to mourn a past pain in the present? In this week’s episode, Dan and Lex consider the meanings of grief and reflection as the month of Av progresses and we move towards the month of introspection, Elul.
[1] Tisha B’av punctuates the end of the Jewish calendar with a bright, momentary grief. Soon after comes the month of Elul, often thought of as the on-ramp to the contemplations and reflections asked of us during the High Holiday period. Interested in thinking about how to reframe and reinvigorate your meditations on the cycles of grief and change? Sign up for Elul Unbound 2025 to receive biweekly wisdom and introspective prompts to guide you through the late summer days.
[2] The Five “Calamities” that are told to have happened on the 9th of Av that Lex references can be explored further here.
[3] For more on Adam and the primordial Hanukkah, (somehow not a band yet?) see here.
[4] Here’s a great resource on Tisha B’av observance from Halachic Left.
[5] For more on Tisha B’av observation in the JU-niverse: Judaism Unbound Episode 383: Jews of Summer Camp — a History with Sandra Fox.