Welcoming the Hebrew Month at Coastal Roots Farm
By Cantor Rebecca Joy Fletcher, Director of Jewish Life
Av and the Jewish Ecological Calendar
At Coastal Roots Farm, we believe that Jewish time and ecological awareness are deeply intertwined. Our monthly blog series, New Moon Musings, honors each Rosh Chodesh—the new moon that marks a new month in the Jewish lunar calendar. As the moon renews, so do we—anchored in ancient cycles, guided by nature’s wisdom, and open to spiritual reflection.
On the evening of July 25, 2025, we welcome the month of Av, a time to embrace our sorrow, mourn, and move forward with courage, kindness, and vitality.
What Happens in the Month of Av?
The new Jewish month of Av ushers in the fast day of Tisha B’Av (August 2 -3) commemorating the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem and other tragic moments across Jewish history. At its widest, Tisha B’Av offers something spiritually essential: a container for grief. It is a time to feel what hurts, to share sorrow in community, and perhaps most importantly, to allow that sorrow to soften us, open us, and move us toward healing.
The Spiritual Season: Mourning in Present Day
In recent Torah readings, we encountered the death of Miriam and Moses striking the rock to bring forth water. Both stories are about unprocessed grief, and the importance of creating a framework to mourn. When we don’t mourn, things get stuck. And when things get stuck, it is harder to move forward with courage, kindness, and vitality.
Today, we face grief of a different kind: climate grief. Fires, floods, extinctions, displacement—signs of a planet in distress. Many of us carry this grief quietly, unsure how to name it or what to do with it. But what we don’t mourn can lead us to disconnection and misdirection.
Holding Grief, Growing Hope
The power of Tisha B’Av lies in its structure: one day, clearly marked and intentionally held. When it ends, the tradition urges us back toward chayim–towards life, towards activism and earth-love, food justice, acts of kindness, and regenerative farming.
At Coastal Roots Farm, this return is guided by Tikkun Olam (Repair): in planting seeds, composting waste, harvesting with care, and sharing our harvest with those most in need.
As we welcome Av, may we make space for grief—not as a place to dwell, but as a path to deeper connection, to compassionate action, and to a love for the Earth that roots us, renews us, and carries us forward.
Let us grieve, so we can live.
Uplifting Jewish Ecological Farming Around North America
Here are some resources to help you consider turning towards Tisha B’Av this year, particularly from an ecological perspective:
- Eikha for the Earth – A group ritual that can inspire personal reflection
- Four Worlds Ritual – A layered framework for mourning and renewal
- Jewish Studio Project: Rosh Chodesh Av 2025 – Creative prompts to make art and process emotions in general
- You may wish to attend Tisha B’av services at Temple Israel (there are others in San Diego – just google Tisha B’Av): Tisha B’Av Service – 8/2 – Tifereth Israel Synagogue
- Or simply set aside one hour for quiet reflection and journaling. Let yourself feel whatever rises around the ecological crisis. Try to focus on one thing – a tree you love, a patch of land that is suffering, a specific front-line community that’s hard hit, a camper lost in Texas. Write. Rest. Weep. And when that hour is over, step back into life.