Tag Archives: Kinah

On Tishah b'Av we lament the destruction of the two Temples, the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, other Jewish national tragedies, and, if we wish, our own sorrows and tragedies. On this day we recite elegies and dirges called kinot, as we and our ancestors have done for thousands of years, in our own ritual way of expressing the deep grief common to all people in all cultures.

Tishah b'Av--the 9th of Av--the day Jews remember calamities like the destruction of the Temples, is coming up soon, and for me there is no better way to learn about and get involved with this occasion is to read the special poetry composed for this day (and for other Jewish days of mourning), and better yet to write our own! In this presentation you will first learn a little about Tishah b'Av and about the poetry, and then be encouraged to write your own such poetry and perhaps recite it in your congregation, havurah, religious class, or home.