Israel Observes Tisha B'Av Fast on July 22-23 with Traditional Restrictions and Customs

The Tisha B'Av fast in 2026 begins at sunset on Wednesday, July 22, and lasts approximately 25 hours until nightfall on Thursday, July 23. This fast commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem and marks the end of the "Three Weeks" mourning period and the "Nine Days" of intensified mourning. Key cities such as Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Beersheba have specific start and end times for the fast, generally around 19:45 for entry and 20:12-20:15 for exit.

Tisha B'Av mourns five historical tragedies, including the sin of the spies, the destruction of both Temples (586 BCE and 70 CE), the fall of Betar in 135 CE, and the Roman renaming of Jerusalem to Aelia Capitolina. Additional calamities linked to this date include the 1492 expulsion of Jews from Spain and the outbreak of World War I. The fast is observed with five prohibitions similar to Yom Kippur: no eating or drinking, bathing for pleasure, applying oils or lotions, wearing leather shoes, and sexual relations. Other customs include sitting on low stools or the floor until midday and refraining from music and work that distracts from mourning.

Practical questions addressed include allowances for washing hands, showering only for necessity, cautious tooth brushing, and the permissibility of work and driving. Smoking remains a debated issue among authorities. The fast is rabbinically mandated (derabbanan), not biblically, but is observed with great stringency due to the severity of the historical tragedies commemorated.

Certain groups are exempt or permitted to break the fast for health reasons, including pregnant women with complications, nursing mothers, the ill, the elderly, and children under bar/bat mitzvah age. Preparation for the fast includes increased hydration and reducing caffeine intake in the days prior, and the pre-fast meal avoids salty or spicy foods to minimize thirst.

The fast concludes without a Havdalah ceremony since Tisha B'Av falls on a Thursday in 2026, separating it from Shabbat. Post-fast customs allow for haircuts, shaving, laundry, and bathing in preparation for the upcoming Shabbat, with continued abstention from meat and wine until midday Friday. The following Shabbat is Shabbat Nachamu, symbolizing consolation after mourning. Questions on specific practices are advised to be directed to a rabbi.