Sundown Saturday marks the start of the most somber Jewish holiday this side of Yom Kippur: Tisha B’av, the ninth day of the month Av, is a full day of mourning to reflect upon all the crappy things that have happened to to the Jewish people since the dawn of time. The day is a culmination of the three weeks between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av, referred to as bein ha-metzarim, meaning “within the straits” of a difficult passage.

(Strangely, a lot of those crappy events actually happened during this period, so it seems that the Israeli powers-that-be could have picked a more positive date to schedule the disengagement.)
Not that we’re superstitious. But our unobservant partner picked Sunday for us to fly across the country, so we’re brushing up on the Mourner’s Kaddish to add to our usual litany of in-the-air prayers. It’s also traditional to fast on this day and not engage in joyful activities, acts of mourning somehow aided by air travel.
On a lighter note, at last count we’ve put up 800+ blog posts since Jmerica’s launch last May, so we’re taking off for some non-electric R&R for the next coupla weeks. Our trusty elves may take some time out to post while we’re away from our shackles, and when we return we have some delightful surprises for Jmerica members. If you dig this blog, be sure to sign up, ’cause good things are coming your way!
Shabbat Shalom and a quiet, reflective Tisha B’Av to all. May we all gather together here again soon!!