An Orthodox Jewish congregation of suburban Minneapolis, providing a welcoming environment for Jews of all observance levels.
Tisha B'Av (literally 9th of Av) is the Jewish national day of mourning. This is the day to sit upon the ground and tell tales of dead kings, as well as destroyed Temples, causeless hatred and the distance we may feel from ourselves and our fellow Jews. The culmination of three weeks of mourning which begins on the 17th of Tammuz, this is the holiday to not only mourn the destruction of the Temple but the causeless hatred and the idiocy which lead to it. It is a day for introspection and pain.
The laws of Tisha B'Av involve a full sundown-to-sundown fast, as well as mourning procedures such as sitting on the ground until late in the afternoon, restrictions on bathing and grooming and relations. It is allowed to go to work on Tisha B'Av but you are encouraged to take the day off if you can. Torah study is forbidden unless it is study concerning the destruction of the temple or the laws of Tisha B'Av.