Relying on God and Ourselves
Our tradition teaches us that "the first" Tisha B'Av took place in the desert and set the scene for a national day of mourning which has haunted the Jewish people through the ages. We will look at a few foundational texts to see how Tisha B'Av encourages a combination of faith and realism.

Rabbi Arie Hasit is the Associate Dean of the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary in Jerusalem, which not only trains rabbis but also runs pluralistic programs training Jewish communal leaders across the spectrum of religious ideology. He and his family live in Mazkeret Batya, where he was the founding CEO and rabbi of 70 Faces Mazkeret Batya, a one of a kind pluralistic Israeli community. He volunteers in the Israeli Masorti Movement on the Youth Commission and the Jewish Law committee, and loves crafting meaningful lifecycle events for Israelis and international Jews alike.