Tisha B’Av in Jerusalem, Israel, is like nowhere else in the world.
At night, as the sky grows dark, the Jerusalem streets near the Old City swell with people walking towards the Kotel, Western Wall. Tens of thousands went last night, but I wasn’t able to walk this year as usual.
A model of the Temple was lit one night from the Aish World Center rooftop. The Golden Dome of the Rock, which was built over the site of its destruction, can be seen at the top of this image.
For those who have not been to Jerusalem and toured the areas being rediscovered, here is a 2-minute video to give you an idea of what it was before the Roman destruction.
These stones were left where they fell so many centuries ago along the base of the Western Wall.
I missed walking around the walls last night and the views on the eastern side of the Old City Walls.
Last year, I got a photo of Mercy Gate as we walked by on the way to Lion’s Gate and back to the Kotel.
Ten years ago, on the night of Tisha B’Av, as every year, tens of thousands came and sang slow songs.
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation shared photos from last night of the annual scene.
Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem video from a favorite exhibit on Babylon.
And there on the rivers of Babylon told their story,
for generation after generation.
Many Jews returned to Zion with the prophets Ezra and Nehemiah,
But many wealthy families remained.
Now 2500 years later,
Many have returned to Jerusalem, Israel, and others have not.
This has been an especially hard Tisha B’Av on a personal and national level.
The situation in Gaza, with 50 hostages, and world support growing for the terrorists, is hard to see.
It was another week of trying to stay cool in Jerusalem, Israel, with summer temperatures unusually high for most of July.
Building and construction went on in spite of the temperatures that kept me off the Jerusalem streets during the day.
Disappointing that the new Israel National Library might look finished from the outside, but the special program planned there next week has been moved to another location. Looking forward to finally seeing the inside!
Outside the Ramada Hotel, the announcement board was unusually empty.
However, inside on the Tuesday before Tisha B’Av was a special event sponsored by the OneFamily non-profit organization Welcoming Women.
Not any woman, but women from all over Israel who had experienced the loss of a family member as a victim of terror – and not just Jewish women.
At the same time the Women’s Empowerment Day was beginning young teens from the US were preparing to leave the hotel. They participated in JCC Maccabi Games held this year in Israel. The games are an Olympic-style sporting competition held each summer and state they are the second-largest organized sports program for Jewish teenagers in the world.
I wondered if the young sportswomen I spoke with, from Florida to California, had any idea of the history of the hundreds of women arriving.
It was standing room only for the day filled with exceptional speakers.
Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi started off the day inspiring as always.
To end her talk she asked the women to bless the person next to them with a version of the priestly blessing using the names of Sarah, Rivka, and Leah.
Physical health tips were included in the day, beginning with healthy brunch options and ending with a dairy dinner, with education and laughter interspersed.
The Women’s Empowerment Days have been held before Tisha B’Av for a number of years, except during the pandemic. Hundreds of women have benefited from the group bonding experience.
And how many more received support from the opportunity to speak with someone who has had a similar pain of tragic loss?
The next day, for Tisha B’Av the sun went down, and the Jerusalem streets were cooler. Once again I decided to walk around the walls of the Old City.
To start the route goes by New Gate, so close to Mamilla Mall that most people do not realize it. There are new night events held inside New Gate sponsored by the Jerusalem Municipality on my to-do list.
Before passing Damascus Gate, participants were stopped by security to walk together and not spread out. Walking was a slow process this year.
Along the way, we walked by road work and construction near Damascus Gate. Since this was such a quiet walk, with no shouting or singing or violent epitaphs, it was a no-news event you may not have heard about.
Families and people of all ages walked around the Old City Walls.
At Lion’s Gate, there were speeches, but not with the usual well-known names as in the past, and not in the same location.
Though people did sit on the Jerusalem stones near Lion’s Gate, the road was not blocked by hundreds of people as in the past.
One reason I go is for the incredible views from the road of the Mount of Olives over the ancient cemetery, on the way to the entrance to Old City.
The views of Jerusalem at night are special on Tisha B’Av when one mourns the destruction, and now sees the new lights, at the Kotel, and all along the Western Wall.
There were reports of a fox running thru the stones of the old destruction, but I did not find one in any of my photos or videos from this year. I did notice people below in the midst of the stones.
I did see people sitting and sleeping on the ground of the Kotel Plaza, alone
or in groups in the Old City near the Kotel,
or in the Cardo, the Roman main street so long ago before they destroyed the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem on Tisha B’Av in 70 CE.
A replica of the Temple’s golden menorah was lit on Tisha B’Av night, in front of the Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter.
Some of the streets of the Old City were very quiet.
However, all night long on Tisha B’Av, people came and went thru Jaffa Gate.
Thousands of people passed thru Mamilla Mall, but all the shops and restaurants were dark and closed in respect of the fast day.
Not sure I will go again, but this year, I put the various gates and scenes on a short video to give you a feel for the mood and night walking around, which really is a short distance.
I met some fascinating people along the way; a woman and son who recently moved to Jerusalem from the US, a 3-generation family from the Golan who came for the night and planned to drive back, and a young married couple from Utah on their last night in Israel before returning home who were trying to find someone who spoke English to explain to them what was happening in Jerusalem.
How does the city sit solitary, that was full of people!
So begins Eicha, the Book of Lamentations read at night on Tisha B’Av.
We are in what is known as the Nine Days that end with Tisha B’Av, Wednesday night, and Thursday, August 29 – 30, 2020.
With the COVID-19 restrictions, the Old City will not be teeming with crowds as usual.
This view from the step toward Plaza of the Kotel, the Western Wall, is well known.
The area inside called Wilson’s Arch is not as familiar. This inside space had been closed much of the time due to coronavirus restrictions.
However, this week on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Av, leading Israeli rabbis attended a special afternoon service to pray for health and relief from the coronavirus pandemic.
A significant administrative storage center from the days of Kings Hezekiah and Manasseh (8th century to the middle of the 7th century BCE) was recently been exposed in an archaeological excavation near the US Embassy in the Arnona neighborhood of Jerusalem.
Restoration work has progressed on the Pilgrims’ Path.
This is the road underground which runs from Shiloah Pool to the Old City, where the Jewish Temples once stood.
The actual old stones remain along what was the busy route on the holidays thousands of years ago.
Three years ago when it was first opened to media,
this video was recorded for an official explanation.
The Roman market place might have looked like this scene.
Under Pilgrim Road, the drainage system has also been excavated. This is where the last Jews hid until the Romans found and murdered them.
The earth removed was carefully searched for bits of history, last year we participated in the sifting project. The best we found were nice pieces of pottery.
However, discoveries include this Roman coin issued after the destruction of Jerusalem.
Five years ago, the exhibit “By the Rivers of Babylon” opened at the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem, see HERE, and is still a favorite.
With only limited attendance allowed in museums now due to coronavirus health restrictions, a new feature was a virtual tour of BLMJ.
The Romans destroyed the Temple and leveled Jerusalem.
