Can’t join us in Berkeley? Gather where you are.
This downloadable toolkit invites individuals and communities to create their own Tisha b’Av gathering for grief, mourning, reflection, and collective witnessing.
Tisha b’Av is the Jewish tradition’s annual invitation to stop, look honestly at suffering, and make space for heartbreak together. In a moment marked by genocide, ethnic cleansing, violence, climate crisis, and personal and communal loss, we offer this resource to support people in creating meaningful ritual wherever you are.
Whether you gather in a park, a living room, a synagogue, or alone with a few candles, this toolkit offers a structure for communal mourning rooted in Jewish tradition and oriented toward justice, compassion, and transformation.
The toolkit includes:
- Rabbi Cat Zavis’ translation and interpretation of the Book of Lamentations (Eicha)
- Suggested flow for a 60–90 minute gathering
- Ritual and reflection prompts
- Guidance for creating a simple, accessible service
- Songs, readings, and optional closing practices
No experience leading prayer is necessary.
As Rabbi Nachman taught, “There is nothing more whole than a broken heart.” We hope this toolkit helps create space to grieve together, remember we are not alone, and begin imagining what becomes possible afterward.
Register here to receive the free toolkit. Once you register, you will receive an auto-reply email with a link to the toolkit.
You can also register below for Grieving in Public, our in-person gathering in Berkeley on July 22nd at 7:30pm. Learn more about the service here.
Rabbi Cat is going to participate in Rabbis for Ceasefire solidarity delegation for the Olive Harvest in Palestine in October. Beyt Tikkun is raising funds to cover her costs. Donations are welcome to help cover her costs. Thank you.
