Apparently, it is the favorite of many people.
The OU currently has a poll up on their site, asking people what their favorite holiday is. The choices are Passover, Shavout, Tisha B'Av, Rosh HaShannah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Channukah or Purim.
The results so far (out of 4543 votes cast):
Rosh HaShannah 4%
Yom Kippur 5%
Channukah 6%
Shavout 7%
Sukkot 10%
Passover 18%
Purim 23%
and leading with 27% and over 1200 votes... Tisha B'Av!
I can only attribute this to open tampering, as I highly doubt that 25% of Jews (even in a SLOP) would actaully list Tisha B'Av as their favorite holiday.
I'm kind of curious, however, about what the OU was thinking when they put that choice up there. I would sooner have put Tu B'Shvat than Tisha B'Av.
The Wolf
8 comments:
The devil made me do it ;-)
What's an SLOP?
(And, just for the record, I would vote for Chanuka and Pesach!)
Self-selected Listener Opinion Poll. They are not used for serious polling because the results are skewed by the fact that the respondents choose to respond.
The Wolf
I don't think so. I don't think that a quarter of those who responded really would say that Tu B'Shvat is their favorite holiday.
It sounds as suspicious as an American asking Americans what their favorite holiday is and over a quarter of them responding with Flag Day.
The Wolf
While I wouldn't list Tisha B'Av as my favorite, there are certain things I find myself enjoying about it. Well, I wouldn't say "enjoying" but I can't think of a better word. I like the fact that, if taken seriously, it reminds us of our history, how we fell, and hopefully how we can get up again. I think it's a good lead in to the Yomim Noraim. Check out Rabbi Emanuel Feldman's essay on this topic in his book "The Shul Without a Clock." He puts forth similar ideas, but write a lot better than I do. The Gemara says that whoever mourns over Jerusalem will eventually rejoice over its rebuilding. That's why I think it's important to get something out of Tisha B'Av, and I find myself somewhat looking forward to that experience.
Tisha B'Av is my husband's favorite holiday....
Tisha B'Av is my favorite. Not because it's particularly enjoyable, but because I grew up going to Camp Ramah (in Wisconsin), and at summer camp, that's the biggest holiday you have. So I associate it with the good experiences of camp.
I wouldn't be surprised if many other people had similar reasons for voting that way, even if the camps were frum ones.
Probably marketing for their Tisha b'av programs in OU shuls. Maybe people are focusing on the Post-Moshiach era. It is going to be the most simchadik of all yom tovs.
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