Grieving and Loving: Jewish Peoplehood Approaching Tisha B’Av

The summer months are a sorrowful time, in which Jews mark painful memories, like the sin of the Golden Calf, the failure of the biblical spies, and, of course, the destruction of the Temple. The classical spiritual explanation for our losses is sinnat hinam, or “pointless hatred” among Jews who were unable to respect each other.

Can different Jewish communities today take our ideological differences seriously, while still mourning together for our people’s losses and caring for each other with ahavat hinnam, or “love you don’t have to earn?”

Friendly UWS neighbors in the Conservative community of Ansche Chesed and the Orthodox community of Ramath Orah should be a model for mutual respect within differences. Please join Rabbi Aviad Bodner and Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky on Rosh Hodesh Av for Zoom-based study and discussion over how different Jews can mark these holidays together.