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Synagogue on Frankfurt am Main. 1938. Leo Baeck Institute. Link.

Sundown this Saturday marks the beginning of Tisha B’Av (the ninth of Av). Traditionally commemorating the destruction of the first and second temples of Jerusalem; in recent decades the day has been used to remember other Jewish tragedies, such as the 1492 expulsion of the Jews from Spain (which fell around Tisha B’Av) and Kristallnacht (which occurred on the ninth of November). Although no photographic evidence from 70 BC exists, perhaps viewing more modern temples on the Center Flickr page, in their splendor and in their destruction, will harken back to the days of ancient Jerusalem.

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