4. Renew Our Days As In The World To Come: Tisha B'Av As Revolutionary Culture
Beginning a long-term examination of the Jewish ritual calendar, the Minyan discusses Tisha B'av, the fast day commemorating the destruction of the 2nd Temple of Jerusalem in 70CE, exploring the history leading up to the Roman sack of the Temple, the sectarian nature of 2nd Temple Judaism, the ritual practices of the holiday itself, and its meaning for revolutionary Jews seeking to build diasporist solidarity with all oppressed peoples in service of building a better world in the future, rather than seeking to reclaim a mythologized past in service of maintaining reactionary nationalism.
Dedicated in memory of Michael Brown on his yahrzeit, the anniversary of his murder by Ferguson, MO police, 5 years ago. Zikhrono Livrakha, may his memory be for blessing.
Please support Movimiento Cosecha in their fundraising effort to build a Cosecha House in El Paso, TX, organized by our comrade Juan Ortiz, who is recovering from injuries inflicted on him by a racist attacker. Mi shebeirach, Juan, may you be renewed in body and spirit. https://www.gofundme.com/f/cosecha-el-paso
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Intro Music: "Nitsokhn Lid (Victory Song)," performed by Yiddish Glory & remixed by Eli Bertrum.
Outro Music: "Megillat Eichah (Book of Lamentations) Ch. 1," chanted in the Moroccan nusaḥ by Rabbi Meir 'Atia.
Suggested Readings for Tisha B'Av:
"Tisha B'av." Sefaria. Accessed August 01, 2019. https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/tags/Tisha%20B'av.
"Tisha B'av." T'ruah. Accessed August 01, 2019. https://www.truah.org/holiday/tisha-bav/.
Ellis, Marc H. "On Tisha B'Av, We Must Mourn Our Complicity." Mondoweiss. May 05, 2019. Accessed August 01, 2019. https://mondoweiss.net/2017/07/tisha-mourn-complicity/.
Tse-Tung, Mao. "Serve the People," in Collected Works of Mao Tse-Tung (1917-1949). [Springfield, Va.] :National Technical Information Service, 1978.
Traditional Liturgy includes:
Lamentations, in its entirety.
Deuteronomy 4:25-40.
Jeremiah 6:16–17 & 8:13–9:23
Exodus 32:11-14 & 34:1-10.
Hosea 14:2–10.
Micah 7:18–20.
Isaiah 55:6–56:8 (this does not include the passages mentioned by Tim, which are read on Yom Kippur. These can be found in Isaiah 58:5-7).
Historical Sources:
Borochov, Ber, and Mitchell Cohen. Class Struggle and the Jewish Nation: Selected Essays in Marxist Zionism. New Brunswick, NJ, U.S.A.: Transaction Books, 1984.
Brosilow, Isaac. ""What Does Vietnam Have to Do with Tisha B'Av?''." Jewish Currents. July 26, 2018. Accessed August 01, 2019. https://jewishcurrents.org/what-does-vietnam-have-to-do-with-tisha-b-av/.
Gilad, Elon. "The Mystery of Why Jews Fast on Tisha B'Av." Haaretz.com. April 10, 2018. Accessed August 01, 2019. https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/the-mystery-of-why-jews-fast-on-tisha-b-av-1.5258013.
Horbury, William, Davies, W.D., & Sturdy, John, eds. The Cambridge History of Judaism, vol. 3: The Early Roman Period. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 2008.
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