What Events Does Tisha B’Av Commemorate?

Depiction of Tisha B’Av mourning and remembrance with people gathered at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
Photo: Francesco Hayez/Wikimedia Commons

Tisha B’Av is often referred to as the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. This is because this day, which falls on the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, is dedicated to mourning and commemorating the many calamities and events that have befallen the Jewish people throughout history.

Originally, the Tisha B’Av holiday focused on the destruction of the First and Second Temple in Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians and the Romans on the ninth day of the Jewish month of Av in 587 B.C.E. and 70 C.E., respectively. 

But over time, Tisha B’Av has become a day of Jewish mourning for a host of events. The destruction of the Temples is still the focal point of the remembrance, but many other tragedies have befallen the Jewish people since then, even recently. During this day of solemnity, fasting, and sorrow, Jewish communities around the world mourn and remember the following events. 

The Original Five Calamities of the Tisha B’Av Holiday 

The destruction of the First Temple and the Second Temple are the foremost calamities recalled during Tisha B’Av. But others have taken place on 9th of Av. Based on Tisha B’Av history, these are:

  • The 12 Spies of Moses – In the Book of Numbers, Moses sent 12 spies as scouts to the land of Canaan. After exploring the land for 40 days, 10 spies returned with bad news; that the land was uninhabitable. Meanwhile, two other spies, Caleb and Joshua urged the Israelites to keep their faith and God’s promise to them would be realized. Unfortunately, many of them did not, and they were forced to wander the desert for 40 years. Caleb and Joshua would be the only ones from their generation to make it to the Holy Land. 
  • The First Temple Destruction – King Solomon’s Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar II in 587 B.C.E. According to the Talmud, the Temple was destroyed on the 9th of Av and continued burning into the next day. All the Jewish people of the Kingdom of Judah were captured by the Babylonians and taken from their homeland. 
  • The Second Temple Destruction – Herod’s Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 C.E. on the 9th of Av. The Jewish people were scattered across the world, greatly expanding the Jewish diaspora. 
  • The Bar Kokhba Revolt – Once again on the 9th of Av, the Romans laid siege to the city of Betar and killed over half a million Jews in 135 C.E. The Jewish state established by Simon Bar Kochba lasted a little more than three years before being crushed by the Romans.
  • The Temple is Plowed – Roman commander Turnus Rufus plowed the site of the second Temple after the Bar Kochba Revolt, representing a great spiritual loss for the Jewish people.

People gather at a memorial site with photographs, flags, and flowers to commemorate Tisha B’Av, a day of mourning in Jewish tradition.

Today, What Events Does Tisha B’Av Urge Remembrance For?

Many more tragedies would befall the Jewish people around the world beyond biblical times –some of them even falling on or near 9 Av. Because of this, Tisha B’Av has become a Jewish day of mourning for the losses experienced over the last 1,000 years. Remembrance is urged for:

  • The First Crusade – Officially beginning on the 24th of Av (August 15) 1096, the Rhineland massacres targeted Jews as part of the First Crusade. 10,000 Jews were killed that month with communities in Rhineland as well as France being wiped out. 
  • English, French, and Spanish Expulsion – On July 18, 1290, the Jewish people of England were expelled from their homes. On July 22, 1306, the same happened to the Jews of France. Jews were also expelled from Spanish-ruled territories on July 31,1492. These expulsions all fell on or near the 9th of Av. 
  • Final Solution Approval -On August 2, 1941 (the 9th of Av), the ruling Nazi Party of Germany formally approved the “Final Solution” – a significant milestone in the Holocaust that led to the murder of millions of European Jews. 
  • Warsaw Ghetto -The deportation of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto to extermination camps fell on Tisha B’Av on July 23, 1942.
  • Buenos Aires Bombing – A Jewish community center in Buenos Aires was targeted by a suicide bomber on July 18, 1994. 85 people were killed and 300 were injured. 
  • October 7, 2023, Attacks – While the October 7 terror attacks that resulted in the murder of 1,200 people and the kidnapping of 251 didn’t fall on or near Tisha B’Av, many Jewish communities incorporate prayers and remembrances of the attacks in their Tisha B’Av observances. 
Group of people gathered outdoors at night, lighting candles and reading, commemorating Tisha B’Av, a Jewish day of mourning.

Why Tisha B’Av History and Observance Matters

Tisha B’Av is the most solemn day on the Jewish calendar, a remembrance of the tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people through centuries of persecution and anti-Semitism. It is a day to reflect on all that has been lost.

Yet Tisha B’Av is also a day of hope. By acknowledging their grief and remembering the past each year on the 9th of Av, the Jewish people affirm their resilience and their faith in future restoration. That is why the observance of Tisha B’Av remains so significant.