In case you missed it, this weekend marks the saddest day on the Jewish calendar- Tisha B’Av, the commemoration of the destruction of both Holy Temples, and when lots of other terrible things happened, too (the Jewish expulsion from Spain, Germany entering World War I, just lots of awfulness).  But don’t worry!  In less than a week from now you’re going to be super cheered up— you don’t have a choice.

See, Tisha B’Av literally means the Ninth of Av, though this year we observe it the tenth so that it doesn’t coincide with Shabbat. The 15th of Av, Tu B’Av, is a love holiday that the Mishna asserts ties for the happiest day on the Jewish calendar. So that means that this year in five days after the sorrow of Tisha B’Av, we have to snap all the way to great joy. Mind you, we have three whole weeks of buildup to get into dour spirits before fasting and mourning on Tisha B’Av.

(You’d think Sukkot closely following Yom Kippur would be a similar situation, but actually, according to the rabbis, Yom Kippur is supposed to be the day that ties with Tu B’Av for most joyful, since our sins are, in theory, forgiven. …Sure.)

But these days, the month of Av isn’t even the most dramatic example of emotional whiplash in the Jewish calendar.  In contemporary Israel, their sorrowful Memorial Day turns into their celebration of their independence with no buffer time at all.

So is it easier for people in general (and Jews in particular) to force emotions of sadness or joy? The obvious answer is sad, since, you know, you generally try to avoid that sort of feeling, but you might be surprised.

I tend to be skeptical of pop psychology in the news, but all the same, the Washington Post reported that trying to force yourself to be happy is likely to backfire. As in, constant self-reflection as to your own mental state can make you more neurotic? Yeah, that sounds like some Jews I know.

Furthermore, the article says that it’s healthier to have a relative balance of emotions, so that maybe wallowing a bit on sad holidays like Tisha B’av prime us to shake ourselves out of a funk. (I know by the end of Tisha B’Av I can even be bored of being sad.)

Jews are famously a resilient bunch. Maybe if anyone is primed to knock our emotions back and forth like a tennis ball, it’s us.

In any case, remember, if you need help enjoying Tu B’Av, Jewcy is throwing a wicked awesome party.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYpcFHtxm60

Image credit: Oscar65221 via DeviantArt

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In honor of Yom Ha’atzmaut, check out The New York Times’ coverage of the proclamation of the State of Israel from May 15, 1948. The story occupies most of the front page, under the headline “Zionists Proclaim New State of Israel; Truman Recognizes it and Hopes for Peace.”

Correspondent Gene Currivan (who, incidentally, also covered the liberation of Buchenwald three years prior) eloquently captures the joyous “fever of nationalism” in Tel Aviv:

In one of the most hopeful periods of their troubled history the Jewish people here gave a sigh of relief and took a new hold on life when they learned that the greatest national power had accepted them into the international fraternity…

There was great cheering and drinking of toasts in this blacked-out city when word was received that the United States had recognized the provincial Government. The effect on the people, especially those drinking late in Tel Aviv’s coffee houses, was electric. They even ran into the blackness of the streets shouting, cheering and toasting the United States.

Read the full article here.

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Doors open at 7:30pm, show starts at 8:00pm.

Buy tickets online for $10, $15 at the door. Ticket prices include one drink!

Visit http://www.HobokenIsraelParty.com/ and click where it says “Buy Tickets Online” and you will be taken to the registration page.

The post Israel Independence Day Bash appeared first on Jewcy.

Laurel already wrote a great post this week about how hard it is to make Yom Ha’atzmaut, (Israel’s Independence Day) meaningful. It’s a tall order, especially these days, when, frankly, I have lots of ideological problems with Israeli politics. But I’ve come up with a few things you can do to focus your day on Israel and on freedom:

1. Say Hallel: Hallel is composed of psalms 113-118, which you can find online in both Hebrew and English here. The chapters are full of gratitude and faith, joy and salvation from enemies. Experiencing Hallel in a synagogue is ideal because it tends to be a raucous and unruly affair that’s especially fun for kids, but if you just want to say them at home, it’s cool. Hallel is one of those awesome prayers that doesn’t require a minyan, so saying it on your own is totally fine. And I think saying Hallel for a newer/more recent event than Hanukkah just reaffirms that we still think God is hanging around and acting on our behalf. It’s like saying, “Hey, these psalm things really work!”

2. Recap the Haggadah: I don’t know why no one has made a Yom Ha’atzmaut seder yet. It seems to me like a totally obvious thing to do. We were slaves, we were oppressed, and now we’re free, and we get to be in charge of ourselves. It’s the same story. And instead of matzah eat pita, and instead of charoset eat hummus. This idea is so good I have to go write up something real for next year, but in the meantime, retell the story of the exodus, and of the obstacles the Jews had to face amongst themselves in the desert. Remember that getting out of slavery doesn’t automatically mean we’re home free. We still have lots of work to do.

3. Give a couple bucks to the Israeli economy: Head to the grocery store and look out for products that were made/grown in Israel. I’m a big fan of Wissotzky teas, but there’s plenty of variety to choose from. Supporting the economy means supporting Israel’s democracy. It’s giving to other Jews, which is pretty Jewish.

4. Listen to some rockin’ Israeli tunes: A big part of most Jewish holidays are the songs we sing for them. Yom Ha’atzmaut doesn’t quite have a modern liturgy, but I like to celebrate with the music of Shlomo Artzi, who’s known as the father of modern Israel songwriting, and who has been around the Israeli music scene since the sixties. He’s patriotic, but never in an idiotic way. I’m also a huge fan of Gaya, who sing that insanely catchy song Od Yavo, and it’s cousin, Yachad. You’ve heard them both relentlessly from youth groups in the past five years.

5. Stay involved in Israeli life: Even when it seems like a drag, and when you are so embarrassed by Moshe Katzav and irritated by Ehud Olmert that you can’t imagine ever wanting to hear about the Knesset again, keep reading the papers and blogs and talking to people who’ve just come back from trips to Israel. Whether you like it or not, Israel’s survival and success have a big effect on any and every Jew. Stay informed, have an opinion, and duke it out (verbally) with others. Chag sameach!

Image: Shutterstock

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