On the saddest day of the Jewish calendar, when we fast in remembrance of destruction and exile in Jewish history, we come together to acknowledge and grieve the brokenness that accompanies the celebration of our nation’s 250th birthday. Just as it is important to lift up the ideals upon which this nation was founded, so must we make space to mourn the injustices embedded in our nation’s history and the current threats to our democracy. In a time of hearts hardened to the migrant and stranger, those seeking to breathe free — we mourn. As the hard-won gains of struggles for civil rights, reproductive rights, and the rights of LGBTQ people are being systematically dismantled – we grieve. But even as we lament, we turn towards the possibility of repair. There is a tradition that Mashiach, the harbinger of transformation, will be born on Tisha b’Av.  As we approach the end of the fast day, join us for a program of ritual, song, reflection, and action for voter empowerment in our fragile democracy.