Today marks Tisha B’Av (Hebrew for “the 9th of the month of Av”). According to tradition, both the first and second Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed on this same day. Therefore, it is a somber day marked by fasting and listening the book of Lamentations, hauntingly chanted. Though not one of the more familiar books to most Jews, it is shared with Christians, and perhaps a place for interfaith couples to find some common ground. Many of the traditions observed today are ones also observed on Yom Kippur, like fasting and abstaining from sexual relations. But somehow, atoning for personal and communal sins on Yom Kippur feels more relevant to me than mourning for the destruction of the Temples.

Every year I struggle with Tisha B’av and its relevance, always looking to infuse the day with new meaning. Perhaps part of the struggle is that I can’t mourn for the destruction of the Temple when a vibrant Israel and a rebuilt Jerusalem continues to enrich me. But friends in Israel, which just weeks ago seemed serene—albeit constantly vigilant of terrorist activity—are spending their time in bomb shelters. Unfortunately, I look at the world and find too many reasons to be sad and mournful. So do we fast today to mourn the tragedies? Do we experience it the way our ancestors did, in a posture of penitence and self-reflection, given all that is going on in the Middle East?

Whatever decisions we make with regard to observance (some also choose a middle road and end the fast midday), we pray that just as our people experienced the joy of eventual return to Jerusalem following the destruction of the Temple and the exile that followed, we may soon see a day of peace and a return to the tranquility of holiness in the Land.

We at JOI have long talked about the power of Jewish film festivals and other cultural events to engage those not yet involved with Jewish life. It looks like others have been talking about it, too. A new program called the Six Points Fellowship supports individual artists in the New York area who want to develop projects with a Jewish focus, theme, or element. There is amazing two-fold engagement potential here—not only does it encourage young artists to engage with Jewish themes in an exploratory, non-traditional way; it also has the potential to reach a diverse audience once the projects are realized. And as we learned from our A Flame Still Burns study of young adult children of intermarriage, those on the periphery of the community are much more likely to attend a Jewish cultural event than a religious one.

A statement from the fellowship director, Rebecca Guber, is further evidence that JOI’s message is starting to be heard in the Jewish world:

We want to include a diversity of voices to reflect on the Jewish experience, and we know that the unique perspective of the artist, often an outsider voice, can challenge and create important dialogue about Jewish identity.

I am optimistic that this project will indeed present an opportunity for a variety of perspectives to be expressed and heard.

Michael Rukin, an advocate of JOI’s approach to inclusion likes to talk about the implicit error in the Jewish community’s “unified field theory” approach to Jewish life. The theory he refers to is the approach of pouring funds into core programs and institutions, with the hope of magnetically attracting people to the core—and thereby preventing intermarriage.

The community continues to pour money into core programs and institutions—and we believe that these institutions and programs are important, but we have a different take on it. We do not think they will have an impact on the rates of intermarriage. What they do have potential for, however, is nurturing Jewish identity in individuals, so they when they intermarry—and large numbers will—they will want to raise Jewish children. After all, interfaith marriage is not the end of Jewish continuity; not raising Jewish children is the end of Jewish continuity.

But people will only continue to interact with the Jewish community if they feel welcomed and embraced. That is what our community transformation initiative is all about—transforming extant institutions to make them more friendly and welcoming to everyone, regardless of their backgrounds, knowledge, or life journeys. A focus on outreach and creating a welcoming environment at Jewish institutions is the only way to ensure the growth and future of the Jewish community.