On Saturday night, after the fast of the 9th of Av begins (in Dnipro – at 8:16 PM) and after the evening prayer (in the Golden Rose Synagogue – at 9:30 PM), the Scroll of Eicha (also known as the Lamentations of Jeremiah) is read in synagogues worldwide. It is one of the five Megillot (scrolls) included in the third section of the Tanach – Ketuvim (Writings).
The text was written by the prophet Jeremiah, who witnessed the destruction of the First Temple and the national and spiritual catastrophe of the Jewish people. Yet despite the vivid and powerful description of the disaster and the people’s suffering, the prophet also brings a message of hope – God will respond, will help those who trust in Him. The Hebrew name of the scroll comes from its opening word, “Eicha” – “How!”
Eicha is read on the date of the destruction of both Temples – the Ninth of Av. It is the only one of the five scrolls read on a day of mourning; the others are read on festivals. Many believe this hints to a future transformation of 9 Av into a day of joy with the building of the Third Temple.
The scroll contains five chapters (elegies) and 154 verses. The first four chapters are structured as an alphabetic acrostic, where each verse begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
To read the full English text of the Book of Eicha, visit:
www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16457/jewish/Chapter-1.htm
Reading of Megillat Eicha in the Central Synagogue “Golden Rose” – Saturday evening, August 2, 2025, at 9:45 PM.
