Tisha B'Av in Israel: Reflecting on Loss, Resilience, and Rebuilding After War

Shanna Fuld as seen at the Jerusalem Post Panel

Tisha B'Av in Israel Feels More Real Than Ever

Tonight, as Jews across the world finish fasting and observing Tisha B'Av, the day we mourn the destruction of our two Holy Temples, I find myself reflecting on what it means to experience loss during Tisha B'Av in Israel.

Six weeks ago, during the Iran war, a missile struck my apartment in Tel Aviv and reduced my home—my safe space, my news studio, and my life as I knew it—to rubble. Since then, I've been living out of a hotel room, keeping what I was able to recover among friends, a storage unit, and a hotel closet. And yet, I am aware that I am a lucky Jew.

I am alive. I am allowed to observe Jewish laws publicly, unlike many generations before me, and we have systems that work in Israel—for the most part. It is impossible not to think about our ancestors wandering north, south, east, and west after Jerusalem was destroyed.

As I walk through Tel Aviv, I see the destruction that war leaves behind and the reality of displacement. But we have not been banished from our homeland as we were in Babylonian and Roman times. I do not take that for granted.

And yes, my thoughts also turn to Gaza and the people struggling to survive there—including Israel's hostages, who remain in captivity simply because they were Jewish and Israeli. Their suffering remains a painful reminder that this chapter of our history is still being written.

This year, Tisha B'Av in Israel does not feel like ancient history. It feels immediate, raw, and painfully real.

Our nation is living through another moment of vulnerability, with hostages still in Gaza, soldiers in harm's way, and families struggling to rebuild after loss and destruction. Just as the Jewish people rebuilt Jerusalem, rebuilt Israel, and rebuilt our lives throughout history, I hold onto hope that we will rise from this period stronger—and, most importantly, more unified.

Our nation has often suffered when Jews turned against one another. That lesson is spoken about openly in Israel, even among secular Israelis who do not necessarily live by Torah observance. The question before us now is how each of us can help prevent another collapse.

How are we showing up for one another?

How are we strengthening our communities?

How are we choosing unity over division?

As we mark Tisha B'Av and remember the consequences of internal hatred, perhaps the greatest act of remembrance is committing ourselves to something different.

We must move forward with love for our neighbors, compassion for those who are suffering, and faith that rebuilding is possible.

With deep gratitude,

Shanna Fuld Editor & CEO, Israel Daily News