ReligiousJul – AugLunar layoutDate varies

Tisha B'Av - the Jewish day of mourning, the destruction of the Temples, and the day of Jewish catastrophes

Tisha B'Av is a Jewish day of mourning observed on the 9th day of the Hebrew month of Av, commemorating the destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BCE and the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 CE. The day is also associated with several other catastrophes in Jewish history, including the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 and the start of World War I in 1914.

IL

Religious observancePublished October 19, 2026

At a glanceReligious observance
Observed in
IL
Where observed
When
Jul - Aug
Frequency
Same date every year
Type
Days off
0 days - cultural observance only
Public status
Religious observance - schools / shops normally open
Last reviewed: October 19, 2026
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Tisha B'Av is a Jewish day of mourning observed on the 9th day of the Hebrew month of Av, commemorating the destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BCE and the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 CE. The day is also associated with several other catastrophes in Jewish history, including the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 and the start of World War I in 1914. Observed with fasting, the reading of the Book of Lamentations, and the abstention from various activities.

The one-line summary

A Jewish day of mourning observed on 9 Av (July-August), commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples and several other catastrophes in Jewish history. The day is observed with a 25-hour fast, the reading of the Book of Lamentations, the sitting on low stools, and the abstention from various activities. The culmination of the Three Weeks (Bein HaMetzarim), a 21-day period of mourning in the Hebrew calendar.

The five catastrophes

Tisha B'Av is associated with five major catastrophes in Jewish history, each of which is commemorated on the day. The five catastrophes are:

  1. The destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonianson 9 Av 586 BCE (2 Chronicles 36:17-21). The destruction was carried out by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon, and led to the Babylonian Exile of the Jewish people and the end of the First Temple period. The First Temple had been built by King Solomon in the 10th century BCE and was the center of Jewish religious life for over 400 years.
  2. The destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans on 9 Av 70 CE (Josephus, "Jewish War", Book VII). The destruction was carried out by the Roman general (later emperor) Titus during the First Jewish-Roman War, and led to the end of the Second Temple period and the beginning of the Jewish diaspora. The Second Temple had been built by the Persian-backed Zerubbabel in the 6th century BCE and had been renovated by King Herod the Great in the 1st century BCE.
  3. The fall of Betaron 9 Av 135 CE, marking the end of the Bar Kokhba revolt against the Roman Empire. The revolt, led by Simon bar Kokhba (whose name means "son of the star" in Aramaic), was the last major Jewish revolt against Rome, and ended with the fall of Betar (the last Jewish stronghold) and the death of Bar Kokhba. The revolt led to the death or enslavement of hundreds of thousands of Jews, and is the basis for the rabbinic tradition of mourning on 9 Av.
  4. The expulsion of the Jews from Spainon 9 Av 1492, when the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella issued the Alhambra Decree ordering the expulsion of all Jews from Spain. The expulsion ended over 1,500 years of Jewish presence in the Iberian Peninsula, and led to the migration of hundreds of thousands of Sephardic Jews to North Africa, the Ottoman Empire, the Netherlands, and other places of refuge.
  5. The start of World War I on 9 Av 1914 (the 28th of Tammuz in the Hebrew calendar, or the eve of the 9 Av in some years). The start of the war led to the Russian Revolution, the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, and ultimately to World War II and the Holocaust. The association of the start of World War I with Tisha B'Av was noted by many Jewish writers, including the prominent rabbi and philosopher Abraham Isaac Kook, who saw the start of the war as the beginning of the end of the European Jewish diaspora.

The five catastrophes are commemorated in the kinot (elegies) recited in synagogue on Tisha B'Av. The most famous kinot include the "Eikha" (the Book of Lamentations), which is read in full in synagogue on the eve of Tisha B'Av, and a variety of medieval and early modern poems composed by Jewish poets and rabbis.

The Three Weeks

Tisha B'Av is the culmination of the Three Weeks (Bein HaMetzarim, the "Between the Straits"), a 21-day period of mourning that begins on 17 Tammuz (the date of the first breach in the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second Temple). The Three Weeks are a period of increasing mourning, with the prohibitions on haircuts, weddings, and public celebrations starting on 17 Tammuz and increasing in intensity as the Tisha B'Av approaches.

The week leading up to Tisha B'Av, known as the Nine Days, is a period of particularly intense mourning, with the additional prohibitions on eating meat and drinking wine (with the exception of Shabbat), the avoidance of new clothes, and the avoidance of construction (including home renovations). The Nine Days end with the eve of Tisha B'Av, when the most intense prohibitions begin.

The Three Weeks are based on the rabbinic tradition that the disasters leading to the destruction of the Second Temple began on 17 Tammuz (the first breach in the walls) and culminated on 9 Av (the burning of the Temple). The tradition is based on the account in the Talmud (Taanit 26b-29a), which associates the period with the destruction of both Temples and with several other disasters in Jewish history.

How it is observed

Tisha B'Av is observed as a day of mourning, with a 25-hour fast (from sunset on the eve to sunset the following day), the abstention from various activities (including bathing, anointing, wearing leather shoes, and sexual relations), the sitting on low stools or on the floor, and the reading of the Book of Lamentations (Eikha) in synagogue.

The synagogue service is the most distinctive feature of the day. The evening service (Ma'ariv) on the eve of Tisha B'Av includes the reading of the Book of Lamentations (Eikha), the recitation of the kinot (elegies for the destroyed Temples), and special liturgical modifications (including the omission of the Tachnun prayer and the recitation of the Aneinu prayer). The morning service (Shacharit) on Tisha B'Av includes the reading of the Torah portion from Deuteronomy 4:25-40, the recitation of the Haftarah from Jeremiah 8:13-9:23, and the continuation of the kinot.

The fast of Tisha B'Av is one of the most severe fasts in the Jewish calendar, with the prohibition on eating and drinking from sunset on the eve to sunset on the day. The fast is broken at sunset on Tisha B'Av with a simple meal, often including hard-boiled eggs and bread (to symbolize the cycle of life and death). The prohibitions of Tisha B'Av end at sunset, and the day is followed by the minor festival of Tu B'Av (the 15th of Av), which is associated with the beginning of the grape harvest and is a day of joy and celebration.

Related observances

Tisha B'Av is part of a larger cycle of Jewish observances that includes the Three Weeks (Bein HaMetzarim), the Nine Days, and the minor festival of Tu B'Av (which ends the mourning period). The day is related to the observance of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is observed in the spring) and to Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day, observed in the spring). The day is also related to the observance of Simchat Torah and Sukkot, which are observed in the autumn and are associated with the giving of the Torah and the dwelling in temporary booths, respectively.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

When is Tisha B'Av in 2026?

Tisha B'Av 2026 is observed from sunset on Tuesday, July 21, 2026 to sunset on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 (9 Av 5786). The fast begins at sunset on the eve of the day and ends at sunset the following day. The date moves each year because the Hebrew calendar is lunar and is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar. In 2026, Tisha B'Av falls in late July, but the date can range from late July to mid-August depending on the lunar cycle.

What is the meaning of Tisha B'Av?

Tisha B'Av means "the ninth of Av" in Hebrew, and refers to the 9th day of the Hebrew month of Av, which has been a day of mourning and catastrophe in Jewish history for over 2,500 years. The day is associated with several major catastrophes, including the destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonians on 9 Av 586 BCE, the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans on 9 Av 70 CE, the fall of Betar (the last major Jewish stronghold in the Bar Kokhba revolt) on 9 Av 135 CE, the expulsion of the Jews from Spain on 9 Av 1492, and the start of World War I on 9 Av 1914 (which led to the Holocaust).

How is Tisha B'Av observed?

Tisha B'Av is observed as a day of mourning, with a 25-hour fast (from sunset on the eve to sunset the following day), the abstention from various activities (including bathing, anointing, wearing leather shoes, and sexual relations), the sitting on low stools or on the floor, and the reading of the Book of Lamentations (Eikha) in synagogue. The synagogue service is the most distinctive feature of the day, with the reading of the Book of Lamentations, the recitation of the kinot (elegies for the destroyed Temples), and the special liturgical modifications (including the omission of the Tachnun prayer).

Is Tisha B'Av a public holiday?

Tisha B'Av is not a public holiday in any country. The day is observed as a major Jewish religious observance, with the most extensive observances in Israel, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Argentina. In Israel, many businesses and government offices close early on the eve of Tisha B'Av, and many restaurants and entertainment venues are closed. The day is a school holiday in Israel. The day is not a public holiday in any other country, but is widely observed in Jewish communities worldwide.

What is the connection to the Three Weeks?

Tisha B'Av is the culmination of the Three Weeks (Bein HaMetzarim, the "Between the Straits"), a 21-day period of mourning that begins on 17 Tammuz (the date of the first breach in the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second Temple). The Three Weeks are a period of increasing mourning, with the prohibitions on haircuts, weddings, and public celebrations, and the avoidance of meat and wine (in the week leading up to Tisha B'Av, known as the Nine Days). The Three Weeks are observed in many Jewish communities, and are the basis for the Tisha B'Av observance.

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