Tisha B'Av - Mourning and Memory

The fast of Tisha B'Av, commemorating the Jerusalem Temples' destruction, carries additional weight in France, where Jewish historical trauma includes medieval expulsions and the Holocaust.

Contemporary Relevance

French Jewish communities expand Tisha B'Av observance beyond ancient disasters. Some include readings about the Vel d'Hiv roundup, making connections between historical and recent catastrophes. Others organize cemetery visits to Holocaust memorials or medieval Jewish sites.

"Tisha B'Av in France isn't just about Jerusalem 2,000 years ago," reflects historian Annette Wieviorka. "It's about Rashi's community destroyed in Troyes, the Jews burned in Blois, the deportations from Drancy. Our mourning is layered."