Join us in community on Zoom for our Tisha B'Av program, featuring the chanting of the final chapter of Eichah, the recitation of selected Kinot, and a learning session and conversation with Professor David Kraemer.

Mourning What? What 9 Av Mourns and Why It Matters Today
With Professor David Kraemer

Tisha B’Av, like other Jewish holidays and rituals, has been subject to a range of (re-) interpretations in recent generations. But what did the rabbis who first focused on the tragedies of the 9th of Av see in this day, and what lesson would they want us to take from it? In our study of rabbinic sources, we will explore ancient insights and modern implications. As we commemorate these ancient tragedies at a time marked by multiple devastations whose meaning remains contested, reflecting on the past becomes far more than a historical exercise—it becomes a way of grappling with the moral and spiritual challenges of the present.

David Kraemer is the Joseph J. and Dora Abbell Librarian and Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), where he has taught since 1980. A leading scholar of rabbinic literature, Jewish ritual, and the history of Jews in late antiquity, he is also a prolific author. His most recent book, Embracing Exile: The Case for Jewish Diaspora (Oxford University Press, 2025), was named one of The New Yorker's "Best Books of 2025."