Tisha B'Av Customs From Czechoslovakia & Germany Remind Us How Important This Day Is

Reciting Eicha – Lamentations – while sitting at the foot of the Wailing Wall is the ultimate way to express grief over our Temples' destruction. That is, if you live in Israel or happen to be visiting. Unfortunately, most Jews do not have easy access to the Wall, so it takes a lot of creative thinking to come up with comparable customs.


This is where looking back at our rich Jewish heritage comes into play. Thinking out of the box was definitely part of it, and the amount of customs I have found for Tisha B'Av is amazing.

I'm going to focus on the two I especially appreciate.

Czech Jews did not wait until the reading of Lamentations to sit on the floor. They began showing signs of mourning during the last meal before the fast, which fittingly consisted of only a hard boiled egg and a slice of bread -- eaten while sitting on the floor.

German Jews had an even more original approach. While praying at the synagogue on Tisha B'Av the Torah scroll was placed on the back of an elderly man, bent over and looking at the floor. The symbolic meaning of this act was to show that while it is hard to be a Jew, we stubbornly persist and survive despite the suffering.

Tisha B'Av is a central date in the collective memory that has kept us going. Pass on its meaning and its customs to your children, grandchildren and students, even though it doesn't coincide with the school year.

Photo Credit

Kabbalat Shabbat, Tel Aviv Style

I experienced a breath of fresh Mediterranean air during Israel's present burning hot, religion and state climate.  It happened this past Friday night at the Tel Aviv Port --  a Kabbalat Shabbat open to all Tel Avivians regardless of religious stripe.  

Run by Beit Tefilah Israeli -- an independent group dedicated to Jewish pluralism and making Judaism accessible and appealing to the general Israeli public -- it was the full package of Siddurim, kipot, music and prayers.

A seamless integration of classic liturgy and traditions with contemporary customs made this event special.  It wasn't a one-time affair. Over the past six years it's been building up a following of mostly secular Israelis looking for a way to embrace Judaism into their lifestyle.

I was introduced to new customs that I want to share with you. An original  Tel Aviv Prayer and a poem welcoming the Sabbath Queen written by Chayim Nachman Biyalik -- Israel's first poet laureate  -- enhanced the regular service.

Those who wished, told about an event during the week that turned out well regardless of the hazardous potential -- to which all replied by singing out thanks to God. For me, the highlight was a new Simhat Torah style prayer under a tallit, blessing all the children finishing school and starting the summer vacation.  

And children galore there were, welcoming the Shabbat together with their young parents.

It was a Kabbalat Shabbat for all ages -- proof that our rich Jewish tradition can be embraced by all.

And for that, let us say Amen and Shavua Tov to all.

Iraqi Jews Welcome Shabbat with the Sweet Smell of Spices

Now that all the holidays are behind us, let's have a look at the one constant in our life which arrives on a weekly basis. Of course, I'm talking about Shabbat.

In my opinion, the concept of a day of rest is one of the greatest gifts Judaism has given to mankind.   While there is a set format of blessings, prayers and Torah reading, different Jewish communities around the world have developed unique customs to celebrate Shabbat.

You know that researching and writing about Jewish customs around the world is my thing, so get ready. I am about to start a new project -- Shabbat Around the World, and I'm using this blog as the launching pad.

Let's get started with a wonderfully aromatic custom from Iraq which shows that the sweet smell of spices is not for Havdallah alone. Iraqi Jews have a wonderful pre-kiddush tradition where the father of the house circles the set Shabbat table when he returns from synagogue on Friday night. When he concludes the round he takes a (pre-picked) fragrant spice branch -- be it myrtle, mint, or whatever else grows nearby -- and makes a blessing over the spice, adding the words a sweet fragrance, an offering to god. Immediately afterwards he recites the kiddush.

What a wonderful custom! Everything about Shabbat is sweet -- including the aromas associated with it. And Havdallah? It brings the custom full circle by heralding a sweet week.

Sounds good to me. Try it with your family, friends and students. What's more, this custom can serve as a great way to learn about your neighborhood/city/state's flora.

This custom is just a taste of what's to come. Starting in the Fall, I hope to be integrating more Shabbat customs into this blog. In the meantime, I'd like you to be in touch with me (tami@tlwkidsbooks.com) and tell me what you'd like to see me cover over the summer. Also, please write to me and share unique Shabbat customs that you know about.

Shavua Tov everyone.

Photo Credit

There's a Grain of Truth in this Shavuot Custom from Ethiopia

Yes, Shavuot is a celebration of our receiving the Torah, but have we missed out on the underlying message of the story of Ruth? It is much more than a love story. Much more than a tale of bonding or of a woman embracing our faith. It provides the setting for an important Jewish value -- helping the needy. Boaz was a wealthy man, owner of bountiful grain fields. Naomi was his destitute, long lost relative. In order to help Naomi without embarrassing her, he orders his workers to let Ruth glean from the leftover grains fallen to the side.

While one of Shavuot's many names is "The Harvest Festival", can you think of a custom that actually incorporates grain? I have just discovered one and I want to say thank you to Ethiopian Jews for reminding me about the lesson of the Book of Ruth. They have a communal tradition of bringing bread and grains to their Kes -- their religious leader. He blesses the bounty, after which the entire community sits down and eats together. After all, bread is the staff of life -- a fact of which Boaz was mindful.









Grain photo credit

Shavuot, Verona Italy & the Origins of the Bat Mitzvah

It's common knowledge that the Bat-Mitzvah ceremony is an American innovation dating back to 1922 when Judith Kaplan, daughter of Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan -- founder of the Reconstructionist Movement -- celebrated her Bat Mitzvah.

What most people don't know is that as far back as the Renaissance, Italian Jewry had a very liberal view of women and their role in Judaism. This information has been brought to light by Dr. Aliza Lavie, author of the bestselling book A Jewish Woman's Prayer Book, through her new study: Women's Customs: A Journey of Jewish Customs, Prayers and Stories. One of the revelations Lavie brings to light is that the first Bat Mitzvah was the brainchild of 19th century Verona Italy's Rabbi, Isaac Pardo. Through her research Lavie discovered that this was an annual communal ceremony held on Shavuot. The 12-year old girls wore white and entered the synagogue's men's section as part of a procession accompanied by a choir singing the Song of Deborah from the Book of Judges.

I'm not sure when this practice unfortunately faded from the scene, but Rabbi Pardo's great grandson -- Yonatan Bassi -- reports that his 100+ year-old mother still remembers every detail of her Bat Mitzvah. True, the above description indicates that the girls were not called up to the Torah. Still, it was a major gender breakthrough, especially considering the minimal role Jewish women around the globe had at that point in time.

For this Shavuot, where does this leave you, your daughters and students? An opportunity to talk about the role girls and women have/should have in the Jewish tradition. We know that Rosh Chodesh has traditionally been considered a female celebration. Now we can add Shavuot.  What next?

Synagogue photo credit

Connect the Carob Eating Custom of Tu B'Shvat with Lag B'Omer

Carob fruit for Tu B'Shvat. But Carob fruit for Lag B'Omer? A fitting fruit if you ask me since on Lag B'Omer so many  Jews hailing from the Middle East honor the memory of Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai -- one of Rabbi Akiva's outstanding students and author of the Zohar. The carob connection is simple. Legend has it that he and his son hid from the Romans in a cave, where the two learned Torah for 13 years. The miraculous appearance of a carob tree and a spring of water next to the cave provided the nourishment they needed to survive.

Here's the next Tu B'Shvat/Lag B'Omer connection that I'm spinning in my head. Most of us are familiar with the Tu B'Shvat Seder -- a veritable fruit feast. Oddly enough, one of the Lag B'Omer customs practiced by Jews from Tunisia, Libya and Morocco is to hold a feast honoring Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai because Lag B'Omer was a memorable date in his life -- on this same date (not year) he became a certified teacher, got married and passed away.

And you thought this minor holiday is only marked by bonfires!


Carob tree photo credit

Connecting Shofar Blowing to Civilian Sirens

My mind goes back to last year when 20-year old cousin Michael spent his Spring semester at Tel Aviv University. "Wow!" he said. "What an unbelievable experience Israel Memorial Day is." He explained: "No sales, no barbecues, no merrymaking!" What he experienced was respect to the fallen, as the entire country came to a standstill with the sound of silence at the sound of the siren -- be it on the road or in the shuk.

This got me thinking. Shofar blowing. Sirens. Around the world, civil defense sirens warn against potential danger as well as sound "the all clear" signal. Israel has a special siren call in case of imminent attack or danger. Now let's connect the dots. During Biblical times the shofar was used as a way to mark the start of a war. Take a look at Joshua and the story of Jericho. The use of numerous shofarim was part of the battle plan.

Then and now, be it in Biblical Israel or the modern state, the shofar/siren was used for numerous purposes.   Back then, what better way to announce the beginning of Rosh Chodesh or to usher in Rosh Hashanah -- the New Year? During the First and Second Temples the sound of the shofar was incorporated with trumpet blowing to signal special occasions and ceremonies. Little wonder that the Chief Rabbi of the Israel Defense Forces -- Shlomo Goren -- made sure to blow the shofar at the Wailing Wall when Israel recaptured Jerusalem's Old City during the Six Day War.

Today? Aside from civil defense purposes and silent commemorative moments on Yom Hashoa and Yom Hazikaron, sirens are sounded every Friday to signal the beginning of Shabbat. A new custom? Not at all.  When the Jews returned (to Israel) from exile in Babylonia, a  priest blew the shofar to signal the people that it's time to stop work and get ready for Shabbat. Travel to the Jewish community living in the island of Djerba off the coast of Tunisia, and you'll find a living example of this custom.

Time for a shofar blowing class or competition?
Think about it and have a Shabbat Shalom.


Shofar blowing photo credit
Siren photo credit