Shia Islam and Judaism share a yearly day of mourning and fasting for a very tragic, sad, historical religious event that happened many centuries ago.

For the Shia it was the slaughter and the tragic martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Husayn, and most members of his family, who were massacred by their enemies in a battle on Ashura, the 10th day of the Islamic month Muharram in 680 CE.

For Jews it was the destruction of the holy Jerusalem Temple; first in 587 BCE by the Babylonians, and then again by the Romans in 70 CE. Both Temples were destroyed on Tisha b’Av, the 9th day of the Jewish month of Av.

As Jews approach the 9th of Av (which this year falls on August 3rd) it is important to remember that destruction and defeat need not lead to despair, depression and disintegration. Each day should be a day of hope and faith in our future.

Surviving a very tragic event is in itself a spiritual miracle. The oppression of the Israelites by the Egyptian Pharaoh, was the first known attempt at suppressing a religion, but unfortunately not the last. Other well known attempts were the three century long Roman persecution of Christianity, and the decade long persecution of Prophet Muhammad and his followers by the majority of pagan Arabs in Makkah.

The Jewish and Muslim communities both share an........

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