- This Sunday, July 1, is the 17 Tammuz fast day, on which we refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to nightfall. It also marks the start of a period known as "The Three Weeks."
- The Fast starts at 4:55 am and ends at 8:52 pm (times local to the Clear Lake Area).
The Three Weeks is an annual mourning period that falls out in the summer, when we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temple and the start of our exile.
The period begins on the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, a fast day that marks the day when the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Romans in 69 CE.
It reaches its climax and concludes with the fast of the 9th of Av, the date when both Holy Temples were set aflame. This is the saddest day of the Jewish calendar, and it is also the date of other tragedies spanning our nation’s history.
Observances: There are various mourning-related customs and observances that are followed for the entire three-week period. We do not cut our hair, purchase new clothes, or listen to music. No weddings are held.
