On Erev Tisha B’Av, we welcome Judge Roy K. Altman to set the tone for our evening of reflection and communal observance. Judge Altman’s special presentation and discussion is inspired by his recent work, Israel on Trial: Examining the History, the Evidence, and the Law, an instant New York Times and USA today national best seller.

In a time when accusations against Israel are often repeated without careful examination, Judge Altman brings a jurist’s perspective to questions of history, international law, and Jewish connection to the land of Israel. Drawing on archaeology, legal analysis, historical records, and contemporary public discourse, he challenges us to consider how evidence, reason, and intellectual rigor can help respond to misinformation and antisemitism in today’s world.

Tisha B’Av is our calendar’s date of mourning. On the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av we recall tragic events in Jewish history whose legacy have shaped our identity and values. Foremost among the events we remember are the destructions of the two Temples in Jerusalem.

Through prayer and reflection we connect the experiences of the Jewish past with the moral and spiritual questions of the present.

Roy K. Altman is a United States District Judge, award-winning legal writer, and former federal prosecutor. A graduate of Yale Law School and former editor of the Yale Law Journal, his writing on the rule of law, Israel, and antisemitism has appeared in publications including The Wall Street Journal, National Review, RealClearPolitics, and Quillette.

Following Judge Altman’s presentation, at approximately 8:30 p.m., we will conduct the traditional Tisha B’Av evening service and the chanting of Megillat Eikhah (the Book of Lamentations).