LAWS OF TISHA B'AV THAT FALLS ON SUNDAY

Tisha B'Av, the Ninth of Av, is the most important of all the Jewish historical fast days. It commemorates the destruction of the first and second temples in . On this same day, Bar Kochba and his followers were defeated; Betar fell, signifying the end of the second Jewish commonwealth; and in the year 1492, the were expelled from Spain. Many more terrible tragedies befell the Jews on Tisha B'Av during the past two millennia.

On erev Tisha B'Av, there is a final meal before the fast that is called the Seudah Hamafseket at which we may not eat more than one cooked food (usually a hard boiled egg). When Tisha B'Av falls out on (as is the case this year) or Sunday, the final meal is and none of the usual restrictions apply. We may even eat meat and drink wine. In order to allow for the Seudah Shlishit, we will daven early, at 5:00 PM.

We must stop eating at sunset, which is at 7:54 PM. We do not, however, remove our shoes until after Shabbat, which ends at 8:42 PM. At the close of Shabbat, we recite the bracha "Hamavdil bein kodesh lechol," after which we remove leather shoes and put on sneakers or any other footwear that contains no leather.

We will daven on Motzaei Shabbat at 9:00 PM, during which we will read Megilat Eicha. The customary Havdalah is NOT recited and only the bracha "Borei meorei haesh" will be recited in shul after Maariv. The Havdalah on the cup of wine is postponed this year until Sunday night after the fast. On Sunday night, only the blessing on the wine and the blessing of Hamavdil are recited.

There will be an additional reading of Eicha at 10:15 PM to accommodate couples who cannot be in shul together because they are caring for young children.

May we merit experiencing the full redemption and restoration of the divine glory speedily in our time.

Below is the full Tisha B'Av schedule.

TISHA B'AV SCHEDULE

Saturday, August 13 5:00pm Mincha 7:54pm Fast begins 8:42pm Shabbat ends 9:00pm Maariv followed by Eicha and Kinot (Main) 10:15pm Late Eicha Reading (Beit Midrash)

Sunday, August 14 7:30am and Kinnot (Beit Midrash) 9:00am Shacharit and Kinnot led by Rabbi Daniel Bloom (Main) 1:35pm Early Mincha (Main)

2:30pm Program to mark the publication of A Boy from Bustina: A Son. A Survivor. A Witness by Andrew Burian, father of Saul and Lawrence Burian (Main)

3:30pm Screening of Mr. Burian's address to 16,000 students at Liberty University in 2014 (MP1)

4:35pm Screening of "The Green Dumpster Mystery," winner of the Avner Shalev VaShem Chairman's Award 2008. Directed by Tal Haim Yoffe. Produced by One Man Films.

5:30pm Screening of "Silver Linings," a film produced by American Friends of Ateret Cohanin (MP1)

6:15pm Screening of "Opening the Door," a film produced by The Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation, focusing on how each of us can discover the power we each have make the world more unified. (MP1)

7:35pm Mincha (Main) 7:54pm appx Maariv (Main) 8:31pm Fast Ends After Fast Daf Yomi (MP2)