A Tisha B'Av service in Jerusalem. (Brian Negin/Flickr)

Tisha B’Av 2021

In 2021, Tisha B'Av begins at sunset on Saturday, July 17.

Tisha B’Av (the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av) begins at sunset on Saturday, July 17, and continues until the evening of Sunday, July 18.

What is Tisha B’Av?

Tisha B’Av is the major day of communal mourning. First and foremost Tisha B’Av commemorates the destruction of both the first and second temples in Jerusalem (586 B.C.E, and 70 C.E respectively), but many other travesties have occurred on the same date.

How is Tisha B’Av observed?

On Tisha B’Av Eicha (the book of Lamentations) is read with a unique nusah, a special melody.

As a sign of mourning it is customary to fast, refrain from bathing, wearing leather shoes, and having sexual relations.

Learn more about Tisha B’Av rituals and practices.

Watch a recording of My Jewish Learning’s class on The Rituals of Tisha B’Av, led by Dafna Siegman.

Discover More

When Prayer Fails Us

Tisha B'Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, is testament to the failure of prayer to avert national catastrophe.

The Book of Eicha: Faith in a Whirlwind

At the core of Lamentations is an expression of faith in the human capacity to survive in a broken world.

The Book of Lamentations

This special reading for Tisha B'Av sets the tone for this tragic and mournful day