Why Do We Celebrate Tisha B’Av?: A Fun, Educational, and Illustrated Holiday Book for Kids Curious Minds About the Jewish Day of Remembrance

Discover a solemn day of memory, history, resilience, and hope in Jewish tradition. Why do many people sit on low stools in a dim synagogue? Why are simple non-leather shoes worn, and why does a fast continue from sunset until the following night? Why Do We Celebrate Tisha B'Av? gives young readers a gentle, clear, and age-appropriate introduction to this important Jewish day of mourning. Tisha B'Av means the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av. Usually falling in July or August, it remembers the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem and other tragedies carried in Jewish communal memory. Here is what you will discover inside: - The First Temple: Travel to ancient Jerusalem and learn why the Temple traditionally associated with King Solomon became the center of worship and festival life. - Destruction and Exile: Understand how the Babylonian army destroyed the First Temple around 587 or 586 BCE, leaving communities heartbroken and displaced. - The Second Temple: Follow the rebuilding of the sacred center and learn how Roman forces destroyed it in 70 CE. - Why the Ninth of Av Matters: Discover why Jewish tradition connects both Temple destructions with the same calendar date and how the day came to hold other painful memories. - A Quiet Synagogue: Experience dimmed lights, low seating, the mournful chanting of Eicha (Lamentations), and special poems called Kinnot, meaning laments. - Fasting and Mourning Customs: Learn why many adults and older teens fast, why health always matters, why young children do not complete the full fast, and why leather shoes are avoided by many observant people. - Visual Learning: Engage with thoughtful, minimalist colorful illustrations that respectfully portray Jerusalem, synagogue customs, ancient texts, prayer, and community remembrance. - Resilience and Hope: See how traditions survived after buildings fell and why the Western Wall remains a powerful place of prayer and connection. Perfect for Jewish families, interfaith classrooms, homeschoolers, and thoughtful young readers, this book explains a difficult history while emphasizing memory, survival, rebuilding, and hope. Grab your copy today and discover how a community carries its stories forward.