Devastation & Hope: The Haftorah for Tisha B’Av
How do we mourn the loss of a Temple, of a spiritual identity rooted in it, that we ourselves never had? Perhaps one approach is to delve into accounts of those who were there to see it – most poignantly, Yirmiyahu Hanavi, who captures the devastation and despair surrounding the destruction of the first Beit Hamikdash and the ensuing exile. Another is to identify relatable themes within that account, the metaphors and broader human experiences and emotions that give us a taste of what the prophet was talking about. Join Mrs. Sarah Rudolph and prepare for the upcoming fast of Tisha b’Av by exploring the section of Yirmiyahu’s prophecies (8:13-9:23) selected to be read on Tisha b’Av morning. We will join the prophet in his despair, and find glimmers of hope for the future even in those depths.
Sarah Rudolph is Director of TorahTutors.org. She is a freelance Jewish educator, writer, and editor and has been sharing her passion for Jewish texts of all kinds for over 15 years, with students of all ages. Sarah’s essays have been published in a variety of internet and print media, including Times of Israel, Kveller, Jewish Action, OU Life, The Lehrhaus, TorahMusings, and more. She is Editor-At-Large, Deracheha: womenandmitzvot.org. Sarah lives in Cleveland with her husband and four children, but is privileged to learn online with students all over the world.