Every summer, those of Jewish faith observe an annual mourning period of the destruction of the Holy Temple and exile of Jewish people in Jerusalem, dating back to 69 CE. This is known as the Three Weeks and Tisha B’Av, which falls in different summer months each year, since it follows the Hebrew calendar.
Chabad in Medford, located on Main Street, has begun its observation of the Three Weeks. This year, it began on July 2, or the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz. It was a day of fasting for the Jewish people. The Three Weeks will conclude on July 23 with another day of mourning and fasting. The final day is known as Tisha B’Av, and it is on the 9th day of the month Av.
Throughout the entirety of the Three Weeks, community members will continue to attend services, classes, and programming at Chabad, while taking space to mourn the loss of many Jewish entities and individuals. Additionally, there are various mourning-related practices and customs followed throughout the duration of the three-week period, such as not cutting hair, not listening to music, and not holding any weddings.
Rabbi Yitzchok Kahan, who has been at Chabad in Medford for more than 20 years, said that these observations are important times to not only mourn the tragedies and battles within Jewish history, but a time to find joy and perseverance.
“This period [recognizes when the] Jewish people were being exiled from Jerusalem and the destruction of their temples, which was primarily because there was internal friction within the Jewish people,” Kahan said. “The focus now is about Jewish unity. Trying to reach out to someone, whether you are friendly with or not, and try to connect and bring the unity that was lacking during that historical time.”
Chabad in Medford frequently unites with other Chabads in the area for services, events, or holiday gatherings. This season, Kahan said he will be joining in at services at Chabad in Medford and Cherry Hill.
Earlier this summer in June, Chabad in Medford joined forces with Chabads in Burlington and Camden counties to host a special seminar and community gathering to honor similar themes of survival and rebirth. The free event, which was open to the public, was hosted by Chabad in Medford, Cherry Hill, Cherry Hill West, and Florence and held at the Cherry Hill location.
The event welcomed guest speaker Rabbi Yitzchok Wagner, the first German-born Rabbi in Germany after the Holocaust, to discuss the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht and the journey of the Jewish people between then and now.
While this event was not specifically about the current observances of the Three Weeks, its depiction of unity is an example of the kind of joyous union that has occurred in the past and can continue to do so in the present day, even within local communities.
“In this era, we focus on trying to be united and caring for one another,” Kahan said.
Chabad in Medford, located on Main Street.
