7 Av 5785

Dear friend,

As we mark Tisha B’Av—the Ninth of Av—we remember a long and painful history: the destruction of our Holy Temples, the exile of our people, and the countless tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people through the centuries. It is a day of mourning, fasting, and reflection—rooted in our collective memory of loss, and in our enduring commitment to justice, peace, and the restoration of wholeness.

This year, the grief feels especially raw and immediate—laden with complexity and sorrow. All who care about truth, morality, and humanity are struggling to make sense of a world that feels increasingly fractured.

The anguish is personal, communal, and deeply felt.

We mourn not only ancient destruction, but the present suffering of our own people. We cry for the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza—innocent men, women, and children torn from their homes by a terrorist onslaught. Their continued captivity is a daily wound, a moral outrage, and a call to the world to stand against brutality and injustice. Their suffering is not symbolic—it is real, urgent, and demands action.

At the same time, we acknowledge the suffering of innocent civilians in Gaza—victims too of Hamas’s ruthless tactics and cruel exploitation. Many face hunger, displacement, and fear, not by their choice, but as pawns in a violent ideology that rejects peace and co-existence. Their pain, too, should not be ignored.

Tisha B’Av teaches us not only to mourn, but to yearn—for a world rebuilt not just with stone, but with moral clarity, courage, and compassion. As Jews, we carry both the memory of destruction and the vision of redemption. Our faith compels us to affirm life, even in the shadow of grief.

On this solemn day, we do not surrender to despair. We hold fast to the hope that has sustained our people through exile and adversity.

May our grief sharpen our moral resolve.

May it inspire leaders to act with wisdom and integrity.

And may we soon see the day — speedily and in our time —

when peace is not only prayed for,

but achieved, protected, and shared by all.

Shabbat Shalom,

Adam Solender