If I Forget Thee, O Jerusalem

Today is the ninth day of the Hebrew month Av.
It is a day of mourning and is referred to by its Hebrew date: Tisha b'Av.
It conveniently wraps a number of different disasters and calamities into one packaged holiday, on which a full fast day (from the previous evening until the night) is observed.

Most particularly, Tisha b'Av commemorates the destruction of both the first and second Jewish Temples in Jerusalem (by the Babylonians in 586 BCE and the Romans in 70 CE, respectively). It also coincides with the Jewish expulsion from Spain in 1492, courtesy of Ferdinand and Isabella, and other events of Jewish past.

To commemorate the holiday for my own experience here, I went with a friend from my Hebrew class to a community center in the nearby German Colony neighborhood, more commonly know as Emek Refa'im. The Book of Lamentations was traditionally read and was held outside. Afterward I walked to the tayelet, the boardwalk overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem, which is pretty close to our dorms.

I sat and thought on the promenade and read a few psalms particular to Jerusalem. One line in particular in Psalm 137 resonated with the theme of the holiday and how Zionism resonates with me:
אם אשכחך ירושלים תשכח ימיני
"If I forget thee, O Jerusalem" is how the thought begins. It embodies the sadness and emptiness of being without our freedom, kingdom and capital city and Temple, having been defiled and ruined by oppressors. It is incredibly meaningful to be here to celebrate the holiday, wondering what the rolling hills looked like then and imagining the former kingdoms of Israel, yet proud to be in the modern Jewish state in Jerusalem itself.

Anshel Pfeffer, a reporter for the Israeli daily newspaper Ha'Aretz, wrote an op-ed piece and contends that since we have recreated a new state the Tisha b'Av holiday need not be observed any longer. An article in Israel21c includes Pfeffer's thoughts and opines further.

I think Pfeffer has an interesting argument, though I defer to the end of the previously quoted stanza:
"If I do not remember you, let my tongue stick to my mouth - if I do not elevate Jerusalem above my highest joys."
This thought encapsulates my joys and excitements of being fortunate enough to again live in Jerusalem and enjoy its splendor. At the present time, I could not be happier being here.