Av

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Pronunciations

Av (AHV) listen

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Definitions

Example Sentences

  • "Av was once a joyous month." (source)

  • "When Av comes round, one cuts down on merriment." (Glinert)

  • "As the Hebrew calendar flips from the month of Tammuz to Av, it is a good time to begin to prepare [for the high holidays]." (source)

  • "A large portion of Av is spent lamenting for the sins of the past and petitioning God to have mercy in the future." (source)

  • "As you can see, the month of Av ebbs and flows with the themes of destruction (judgment) and renewal." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • TH אָב > Y אָבֿ ov

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education
      • Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)
      • Camp: Jews who attend or work at a Jewish overnight summer camp
      • Israel: Diaspora Jews who feel connected to Israel and have spent time there
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      Regions

      • North America
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa
      • Australia / New Zealand

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).
      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).

      Alternative Spellings

      Ov

Notes

  • Usually corresponds to July/August.

    Contains Tisha B'Av and Tu b'Av.

    See also Tishri, Cheshvan, Kislev, Tevet, Shevat, Adar, Nisan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, and Elul.

    "It starts on a sour note, with the 'Nine Days' of semi-mourning leading up to the dark fast day of Tisha be-Av, but it soon brightens up and everyone can then enjoy their vacation" (Glinert). Steinmetz refers to it as the eleventh month, following where one counts the first month as Tishrei in the fall. However, "In the Bible, where the year begins in the month of Nisan [in the spring], Av is the fifth month" (Steinmetz).

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