Date: July 22, 2026
Time: 7:30-9:30pm
Location: In person at Live Oak Park in Berkeley - exact location shared upon registration
Food: Sundown on July 22nd marks the beginning of the 25-hour Tisha b'Av fast. If you'd like to share a pre-fast meal, join us at the park at 6:30pm. Feel free to bring pizza from Cheeseboard or another nearby spot. We'll ask everyone to finish eating before the service begins, in keeping with the fast.
Covid Precautions: Masks are optional, we will be outdoors. More Access Information below event description.
Questions?: rabbi@beyttikkun.org
If you are not in the Bay Area, we have created a toolkit to help you organize your own Tisha b'Av service. Learn more here or register for our Tisha b'Av toolkit below to receive a free download.
Event Description:
Tisha b’Av, often understood as the saddest day in Jewish tradition, invites us to grieve openly.
In this moment of ongoing violence and loss, many of us are carrying grief that feels too large to hold alone: genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem; kidnapping, torture, and family separation by the hands of ICE; escalating attacks on trans and queer communities; ongoing war and militarism; and the heartbreaks of our own local and personal lives.
Join us in Berkeley for an outdoor Tisha b’Av gathering of collective mourning, reflection, and ritual. Together, we will honor both historical and present-day suffering and consider what Jewish tradition asks of us in times of devastation.
Gathering on the grass by (battery-powered) candlelight, we will read Rabbi Cat Zavis’ translations and interpretations of the Book of Lamentations, connecting ancient texts of destruction and exile with contemporary experiences of empire, violence, and collective grief. We believe that creating a world rooted in justice and peace requires the courage to witness what is true.
As Rabbi Nachman taught: “There is nothing more whole than a broken heart.”
Tisha b’Av creates sacred space for grief, rage, and mourning—not in isolation, but in community. When we gather to grieve together, we remember we are not alone. Through shared sorrow, we cultivate compassion, connection, and the possibility of transformation.
Items to Bring or Prepare:
Bring a blanket or chair to sit on or to share with others.
Cost: Attendance is free of cost.
We welcome donations to support Rabbi Cat’s participation in the Rabbis for Ceasefire solidarity delegation during the Olive Harvest in Palestine this October. If you make a donation, please add this note: "Olive Harvest"
Access Information:
- Wheelchair accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
- Bathrooms: Public bathrooms available
- Seating/Standing: We will be sitting on grass - you are welcome to bring a chair or blanket to sit on, or stay standing
- Public Transportation Access: Live Oak Park is accessible by AC Transit bus lines with stops within a short walk of the park. The park is also about a 20–25 minute walk or a short bus ride from the Downtown Berkeley BART station.
- Carpooling: Self-organized community carpooling available
