Tisha B'Av (the 9th of Av) begins at sundown on Wednesday, July 22, and ends at nightfall on Thursday, July 23. It is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, marked by fasting and intense mourning to commemorate historical tragedies, most notably the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. Synagogues read the Book of Lamentations (Eichah) in the dark.
It is a time for the community to reflect on collective tragedies, including the Crusades, the Holocaust, and the horrors of the Iberian Inquisition. Historically, many of the sweeping tragedies for which the Jewish people mourn on Tisha B'Av directly impacted Portugal. It commemorates the devastating Expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, which led to a massive influx of refugees into Portugal, followed by the Lisbon Genocide and the brutal Portuguese Inquisition.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu frequently uses the solemn fast of Tisha B'Av as a profound symbol of Jewish resilience, emphasizing that the survival of the Jewish people through centuries of exile proves their ultimate eternity.
Recognizing it as the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, he frames the observance not as a day of final despair, but as a crucial time to remember historical losses while reaffirming the strength, faith, and renewal of the Jewish nation.
Referencing the famous quote about Napoleon hearing Jews weep over the destruction of the Temple, Netanyahu has emphasized that "a people capable of remembering its past so clearly has a guaranteed future".
