As Jews mark Tisha B’Av, ancient mourning rituals make room for modern grief

(RNS) — As Jews across the world observe Tisha B’Av, the annual fast mourning the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, many will also grieve modern-day tragedies.

The holiday, which begins at sundown Wednesday (July 22) and ends Thursday at sunset, is observed as Judaism’s central day of communal mourning. Centuries-long tradition contributes to an evolving memory of the fast day through “ kinot ,” the liturgical poems recited in synagogues that mourn the destruction of Jerusalem while also commemorating later tragedies .

Over centuries, rabbis and poets have composed new kinot in response to catastrophes and persecutions, from the Crusades and Inquisition to the Holocaust .

Since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and the devastating war in Gaza, new lamentations have continued that tradition as modern authors started penning liturgical poems.

“In 2026, Tisha B’Av looks a lot like it’s always looked,” Rabbi Diana Fersko, chief Jewish life officer at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, told RNS. “It’s this day of sadness where you’re letting yourself sit in that emotion and reflect on some of the darkest moments in Jewish history. You’re doing…