Harley Schwarz is from Buffalo Grove and is going into 11th grade at Stevenson High School.

Last night marked the start of the mourning of the destruction of ancient temple. Instead of ending Shabbat with a concluding Havdalah service like we have done the last couple weeks, we shifted our mindsets to a mindset of loss and sadness. For many of us on TJJ, (myself included), this was our first time learning and observing Tisha B’av. Being in the holy city of Jerusalem where the destruction of the temple occurred and still lies added an increased meaning to this day of tragedy. As we learned and observed, there is more than just simply acknowledging Tisha B’av as the day of the loss of the temple. There are active things than we can do to feel this great loss, even though this happened thousands of years ago. For instance, many of us chose to abstain from eating and drinking as a part of the 25 hour fast. Additionally, it was encouraged to not sit in chairs to symbolize not being comfortable, and greeting one another with even a simple “hello” is typically not a custom on this day to truly feel the weight of this day. What really made this day special for me was actually going to the Kotel, where the destruction of the temple lies. Seeing the thousands of people gathered rejoicing together in song and prayer was truly a memorable experience. It is said the reason the second temple was destroyed was because the Jewish people didn’t deserve it anymore. The Jewish people contained baseless hatred that resulted in the romans attacking and ultimately destroying the temple. Although, gathering at the Kotel like we did today symbolizes that the Jewish people are able to come together as one again, and hopefully prove that we are worthy of rebuilding the third temple. Finally, to conclude the day of mourning, we broke the fast in a delicious feast of pasta! I am definitely looking forward to the next Tisha B’av where I can learn even more about it.