Repurpose Your Netflix or iPhone to Make Tisha B'Av More Meaningful

I found myself in Shul (Synagogue) tonight, Tisha B'Av - an important Jewish fast day remembering our hard times specifically the destruction of the two Temples, and was about to use my paper Eicha when I actually remembered I can use my iPhone Tanach App.  Using the iPhone version is easier and keeps my place better then paper.  The best thing is that it's hard to get distracted with email when you are using the phone for this purpose.  There are plenty of ways to use new technology to aid religious inspiration.  On to my iPad.

Immediately after getting home, I cleared off a spot on my living room floor next to my couch.  On Tisha B'Av, from night until half way through the day, we are required to be in mourning for the destruction of our Holy Temples.  Jews mourn by fasting, forgoing hygene, external appearance and generally being uncomfortable - basically thinking about the object of mourning and not themselves.   That is easier said then done.  There are so many distractions nowadays - like my iPad.

I picked up my iPad and perused through Netflix's Judaica genre for inspiration "Watch Instantly" movies.  Documentaries I felt would be more appropo then watching something like "The Ten Commandments."  PBS had some nice flix about the Jewish struggle through history, vast amount of Holocaust films, and Nova specials on archelogical findings relating to the revolts of Bar Kochva.  Since I was pretty tire, I settled on the broad overview of Jewish History. It wasn't anything earth-shattering but kept me focused on the meaning of the fast day.  Now I can go to sleep and feel the loss of the Jew's Holy Temple, the Bais HaMikdash.

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