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Looking for a printable Tisha B'Av fast guide? This original page is ready for home, synagogue, classroom or community use: what the Tisha B'Av fast means, when it begins and ends, what happens on the night and day of the fast, how to explain the day to children, a suggested PDF structure FAQ and a Tisha B'Av quiz.
In Short: What Is Included in the Printable?
What Is the Tisha B'Av Fast?
The Tisha B'Av fast is a day of mourning and remembrance for the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, along with other painful events associated in Jewish tradition with this date. It is the culmination of the Three Weeks and the Nine Days, and is considered one of the most serious fasts in the Jewish calendar.
The fast is not only about refraining from food and drink. It creates a day of quiet, memory, prayer and reflection: Megillat Eikhah is read, Kinot are recited, the atmosphere is subdued, learning focuses on the destruction and exile, and the memory is directed toward responsibility, unity and repair.
At the Western Wall, the remaining link to the Temple, Tisha B'Av carries a particularly strong public meaning. Reading Eikhah, saying Kinot and praying beside the stones connect the memory of destruction with longing for rebuilding, comfort and peace.
When Is the Tisha B'Av Fast?
Tisha B'Av falls on the ninth day of Av. Unlike most short fasts, it begins the previous evening, near sunset, and continues until nightfall the next day. Exact start and end times vary by year, city and location, so a practical printable should always refer readers to a Hebrew calendar or local zmanim tool.
In 2026, Tisha B'Av 5786 falls on Thursday, July 23, 2026, and the fast begins on Wednesday evening, July 22, 2026. A single start or end time should not be published for all locations without city-specific calculation.
What Is Done Before the Fast?
Before the fast begins, many communities eat a final meal according to family and communal custom. It is a transition point: finishing the practical preparations, quieting the atmosphere and entering the day with simplicity and respect.
A printable guide should include a practical reminder:
- Check the fast start and end times for your city.
- Prepare non-leather shoes, for those who follow that practice.
- Plan for Eikhah reading or synagogue participation.
- Prepare a short, gentle explanation for children.
- Remember that people who are ill, pregnant or nursing, children, and anyone with a medical concern should receive appropriate halachic and medical guidance.
What Happens on the Night of Tisha B'Av?
On the night of Tisha B'Av, Megillat Eikhah is traditionally read after the evening service. The book gives voice to Jerusalem's pain after the destruction, and it is read in a quiet and serious atmosphere. Many communities also recite Kinot, sit lower or more simply, and avoid a festive atmosphere.
The printable does not need to include the full Eikhah or Kinot texts in order to be useful. It can explain what is read, when it is read and why, and add a personal prompt such as "one word of memory" or "one act of repair."
What Is Done During the Day?
Customs vary among communities, but in general Tisha B'Av includes abstaining from food and drink for those who are obligated and able to fast, avoiding leather shoes, avoiding washing and anointing except where needed, maintaining a mourning atmosphere during the first part of the day, reciting Kinot and prayers, and avoiding joyful Torah study not connected to the destruction or the day.
| Part of the day | Practical explanation |
|---|---|
| Eve of the fast | Final meal, checking fast times and preparing emotionally |
| Night of Tisha B'Av | Evening service, Eikhah reading and Kinot |
| Morning | Mourning atmosphere, Kinot and learning about the destruction |
| Afternoon | Some easing of certain mourning practices in many communities, Minchah and prayers for comfort |
| After the fast | Break the fast gradually, while noting customs that may continue into the tenth of Av |
The halachic framing should be careful: this page gives general information and does not replace halachic, medical or community guidance.
A Short Child-Friendly Version
Tisha B'Av is a day when the Jewish people remember the Temple that once stood in Jerusalem and was destroyed many years ago. It is a sad and serious day, so adults and bnei mitzvah fast according to halachah, read Megillat Eikhah and recite Kinot.
But Tisha B'Av is not only a day of sadness. It is also a day when we ask: how can we build better? How can we speak respectfully? How can we increase love, help, peace and kindness?
Young children usually do not fast a full fast like adults. Even without fasting, they can take part in the day: learning about Jerusalem, hearing the story of the Temple, doing a kind act, helping someone, apologizing or choosing one "stone of repair" for the coming week.
Do Children Fast on Tisha B'Av?
Children before bar or bat mitzvah are generally not obligated to complete the full fast. Some families educate older children through partial participation, such as eating more simply or skipping a treat, but this depends on age, health, family custom and halachic guidance.
For a children's printable, the message should be clear: children take part in Tisha B'Av mainly through understanding, sensitivity and good actions, not through pressure around fasting. For any medical or halachic question, consult a parent, doctor or rabbi.
Printable Activity: From Fasting to Repair
Create a page with three sections:
- What do we remember?
- What do we feel?
- What can we repair?
In the first section, write: Jerusalem, the Temple, the Western Wall, Eikhah, Kinot, longing.
In the second section, use simple feeling words: sadness, quiet, thought, hope, the wish to build.
In the third section, each participant chooses one small action: speak respectfully, help at home, apologize, avoid laughing at a friend, learn about Jerusalem, or do a kind act without being asked.
At the end, each child writes the action inside a drawing of a stone. The stones become a family or classroom "wall of repair."
Suggested PDF Structure
Tisha B'Av Quiz
- What do we mourn on Tisha B'Av?
- In which city did the Temple stand?
- When does the Tisha B'Av fast begin: in the morning or the previous evening?
- Which scroll is read on the night of Tisha B'Av?
- What are Kinot?
- Why is the Western Wall especially meaningful on Tisha B'Av?
- Are young children required to complete the full fast?
- Write one act of repair you can do this week.
Facilitator Answers
- The destruction of the First and Second Temples and the pain of Jerusalem and exile.
- Jerusalem.
- The previous evening, near sunset, until the following night.
- Megillat Eikhah, the Book of Lamentations.
- Poems or prayers of mourning and remembrance for the destruction and Jewish suffering.
- It is a remnant connected to the Temple and a central place of prayer and memory.
- Generally no; it depends on age, health and halachic guidance.
- Open answer: kindness, help, apology, respectful speech or learning about Jerusalem.
FAQ
When does the Tisha B'Av fast begin?
It begins on the evening before the ninth of Av, near sunset, and continues until nightfall the next day. Times should be checked by city and year.
What is read on the night of Tisha B'Av?
Is Torah study allowed on Tisha B'Av?
In general, joyful Torah study is avoided, while learning focuses on the destruction, mourning, Eikhah, Kinot and repair. For exact practice, consult a reliable halachic source or rabbi.
Do children need to fast?
Young children are generally not obligated to complete the full fast. They can participate through explanation, conversation, an activity, prayer or an act of kindness.
Is this printable suitable for school or community use?
Yes. The structure works for a short class, activity station, family handout, pre-Tisha B'Av preparation or a respectful conversation with children and teens.
Should exact fast times be printed in the PDF?
You may include a blank space to fill in local times or link to a zmanim tool. If exact times are printed, they must be calculated by city and year.
Can excerpts from Eikhah or Kinot be included?
Related Quiz Idea
Quiz name: "The Tisha B'Av Fast: Memory, Jerusalem and Repair."
Suggested structure:
- 4 knowledge questions about the destruction of the Temple, Jerusalem and the Western Wall.
- 4 questions about fasting, Eikhah, Kinot and the customs of the day.
- 4 values-based questions about Jewish unity, respectful speech and consolation.
- Final open prompt: "What is my act of repair after the fast?"
Image and Asset Ideas
- A clean worksheet in stone, deep navy and soft gold colors, titled "From Fasting to Repair."
- A gentle illustration of Western Wall stones, each marked with a word: memory, kindness, peace, comfort, hope.
- A family or classroom around a table with a small candle, activity sheet and Jerusalem silhouette.
- Mobile graphic with three steps: remember, feel, repair.