The 9th of Av is the most melancholy day in the Jewish calendar, commemorating the historical Exiles: from Judaism, from God, and from one another. Built into the themes of the day - and a remarkable thread running through Jewish literature - is a rejection of zealotry and fanaticism.
But what do we mean by “zealotry”? Surely there’s a big difference between “fanaticism” and “authentic religious enthusiasm and commitment”? And what is the connection between zealotry and the destruction of Jerusalem itself on Tisha B’Av, as the Talmud seems to assert?
At a historical moment when the exile and and isolation seem to feel particularly severe, you’re invited to join our online community to study some timely Jewish texts and discover how Tisha B’Av’s sorrow can be timely this year - and how it can offer us inspiration and a way forward.
Photo: The Arch of Titus in Rome, commemorating the Romans’ destruction of Jerusalem and looting of the Temple treasures in 70 CE. (NG)