Av // אָב

Av is the eleventh month of the civil year and the fifth month of the Jewish religious year on the Hebrew calendar.

Av comes at the same time as the secular months July/August.

The prophet Isaiah named the Temple “Ariel,” which is related to aryeh. The Temple, like a lion, was majestic and awe-inspiring.

In Hebrew, Av is spelled aleph-bet, the first two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. There is a vast amount of folklore about each of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

Av commemorates the destruction of the Temple, the end of an era of Jewish life. It is also taught that the Messiah, who will usher in a new era in Jewish life, will be born in Av. In Av our mourning turns to celebration as we move from the sadness of losing the past to the hope of a brighter future. We begin our journey towards the messianic age—a time when the world will be perfect—with small steps towards tikkun olam. According to Jewish mysticism, the world is in a broken state. Humanity's job is to join G!d, as G!d's partners, in its repair, just as we begin our Jewish journey by learning the aleph-bet.