As the fast of Tisha B’Av approaches, Jerusalem’s synagogues are preparing for a night that blends ancient lament with modern loss. Cushions are placed on the floor, lights are dimmed, Torah arks are stripped of their curtains — and the sacred scroll of Lamentations is checked and ready
This year, the fast begins on a Saturday night, at the start of August 2025. Worshippers will gather at central synagogues across Jerusalem — from “Yad Mordechai” to “Medor LeDor,” “Sha’ar Menachem” to “Yagel Yaakov” — as the city prepares to sit low and mourn
Old destruction meets present-day grief
The evening rituals follow tradition: sitting on low benches or on the floor, reading Eicha, chanting kinot — poems of sorrow — and remembering the destruction of the First and Second Temples. But in today’s Israel, those ancient words strike new chords. Since October 7, 2023, the grief of a nation burned into its consciousness — and into the walls of homes in the south — gives these verses heavier weight
In synagogues citywide, preparations reflect care and attentiveness. Booklets of kinot have been enlarged and translated, air conditioners checked, and prayer leaders coordinated. In the Ades Synagogue near Nachlaot, local cantors have rehearsed. At secular-traditional communities like “Yaakov Menachem,” the night will include Hebrew poetry, song, and open discussion on the meaning of destruction in today’s world. “Yeshurun” on King George Street released a detailed schedule for the night, while the historic “Hurva” Synagogue in the Old City will host lessons, readings, and conversations
An ancient longing for Jerusalem
From North African and Balkan synagogues to Ethiopian congregations, communities are drawing out traditional kinot that reflect centuries of longing for Jerusalem — some composed long before arriving in the land
But this year, the verses in Eicha — “Because of our sins we were exiled from our land…” — feel less like theology and more like warning. A warning of failed leadership, missed chances, and disconnection. A people drifting, hurting, and unable to find comfort
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“It’s not just about the past anymore”
“It’s not just about what was destroyed,” says Shaul, a longtime worshipper at “Beit HaYetomim,” also known as the Underground Fighters Synagogue. “When I read ‘How the city sits solitary,’ I feel it’s about us now
And as night falls and the fast begins, a hush will cover the city. Across Jerusalem, the ancient words will rise once more: “All who pursued her overtook her between the straits.” This time, between the ruins of temples and the ruins of homes in the Gaza Envelope, the despair of 50 kidnapped still held captive — maybe, just maybe, a crack of hope remains. Narrow. But unyielding
