Mourning on Tisha B'Av in the Time of Covid-19

Though these tragedies took place millenia ago, they represent not only the destruction of the holiest of sites in Judaism, but the destruction of the community and the death of countless innocent people. The kinah/dirge in

Following the first destruction the Jewish people were eventually allowed to rebuild the Temple and Jerusalem. However, after the 2nd destruction the Romans made certain that the devastation was so complete it would take a miracle to rebuild their society as it had existed. Luckily, the rabbis of the time were able to rethink, reimagine, and rebuild a new Judaism which did not depend on sacrifices or the presence of a central holy place. This Judaism focused on prayer, study, and acts of kindness instead. This is the Judaism of which we are the inheritors today.

As we navigate our way through the devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic it is good to remember that eventually we too we be able to rebuild our society and our world. And as our country finally grapples with the tragedy that has been wrought by systemic racism and white supremacy which has been infecting our country for over 400 years we must also have faith that we can create a better nation. Together we must all find new ways to communicate, new ways to live, and ways to build a world built on justice for all.

We don't know what this world will look like, but I am confident that it will be better. We are already developing new ways to communicate and connect with others even during isolation. We are also fighting, protesting, and revolting against to bring the long-overdue changes to our society. We are no longer willing to settle for the status quo.

Years ago, Tisha B'Av lost much of it's meaning for me. I no longer mourned for Jerusalem, because it had been rebuilt. And yet, I knew that I should never forget the innocent people who were killed, as well as the destruction of the city. It then began to take on new meaning for me as I watched as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continue and I witnessed the treatment of the Palestinian people that was sanctioned by the Israeli government. The sorrow deepened as I began to realize the other inequalities which exist in Israel today. These include the lack of religious equality for non-Orthodox Jews and for women rooted in the hegemony of the ultra-Orthodox establishment. It also includes the fast-growing economic inequality and increased poverty, especially among people of color and immigrants, not dissimilar to what exists in America. All of this has only been exacerbated by the effects of the pandemic.

Neither America nor Israel is the country I want it to be. Both are being destroyed from forces within and not by external enemies. And our world itself is being destroyed because of the careless way in which we have treated our environment. This is not being helped by the fact that the current US administration has intentionally turned a blind eye to environmental justice and treated it as a myth. This too has severe consequences for those who are already oppressed or living in poverty.

The ancient rabbis taught that the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Romans was a punishment for the sin of sinat hinam/baseless hatred which existed within the Jewish community. Let us not allow baseless hatred and ignorance to destroy the USA, Israel, or any place in our world.

As we face the pandemic and all the other troubles in our world, let us remember that if we bact from a place of love, compassion, and respect the end result will be a world where equality and equity truly exist. The Jewish people were able to recreate an entire religion in the aftermath of tragedy. The people of the USA, Israel, and everywhere in our world can rebuild and recreate our world as well. These times may be difficult, but I can only pray that in the end our response will create a better world for people, for all creatures, and for our planet.

As we read in the Pirkei Avot/the Ethics of our ancestors, "it is not up to us to complete the work, but neither are we free to ignore it." Let us each do what we can to make the world a better place by fighting for justice and calling out all injustice when we see. Let us begin to repair our world by treating the environment with respect. And let us each do our part to eventually bring this pandemic to an end by wearing masks, following social distancing, and staying home as much as we are able. Then eventually the world that today is only a dream will truly exist.