The funny thing is, the article is not even so much about that... But I guess to grab your attention...

See full article here. It's a nice mix of All for the Boss, Reb Boruch Ber and Ribnitz. בלבוש פרייפעלד. This is what the Jewish Charedi world has to offer as far as reading material. I'm not complaining, just observing.

I used to think that the Milchig restaurants and dairy producers were making a mockery of the 9 days...

And let's not forget the newspapers, magazines and websites that enable them.... With their fancy ads and recipes. Cheese dripping and melting ice cream. But then I started paying attention to the Artscroll ads ------------- The ads that make you think it's Chanukah in August. I think it's worse. A lot worse. Because at least with an ice cream or fish ad I know that it's about the food. And I know that they're trying to get their market share. With the Artscroll ad I am lead to believe that they're helping me mourn. REALLY mourn. Mourn interlinearly, transliteratedly, and any other which way. From Soloveitchik to Kanievsky, (Sorry, they don't do Soloveitchik) and anything in between. But it's not. Take your .75c kinos, and maybe buy a מדרש איכה with a פירוש. Anything else is just wrong. You can even learn הניזקין with the English Artscoll, but don't do anymore than that. If you do you're just a pawn in their evil chess game.

ויה"ר שיהפכו ימים אלו לששון ולשמחה

The Holocaust testimony of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Rubin - מוזשאי'ער רב

היות תשעה באב became the frum version of יום השואה והגבורה - not chas vesholom in a Nationalist way, but rather to induce sadness in our bourgeois existence so that we feel melancholy. And being that a reader was kind and thoughtful enough to send us this link, among others, we present to you, dear readers, the links to the Holocaust testimony of Rav Menachem Mendel Rubin, zt"l, Muzhai'er Rav in Flatbush. Son of Reb Yakov Yisroel Yeshurun of Sasregen, hyD, and scion of the Ropshitzer dynasty. He was married to a daughter of the sister of the late Satmar Rov, Reb Yoel, zt"l, and was thus a nephew through marriage. Muzhai and Sasregen shuls, the latter, founded by his brother Reb Mordechai Dovid Rubin, are what are responsible for the great Hungarian renaissance in the Midwood section of Brooklyn. They brought Hungarian and Marmuresian Judaism to an otherwise spiritual wasteland. Without them we shudder to think what that neighborhood would look like... These videos are an irreplaceable treasure.

The two pics above are as a member of the Bergen-Belsen Rabbinate. 

Courtesy Ivelt

Tired of your אשכנזי תשעה באב?

try the Sefardi Spanish/Portuguese נוסח instead

 It may be long and drawn out, but if you're musical you'll enjoy it, at least for one year. They have real nusach for kinos, which brings new meaning to what you're saying. אחב"י הספרדים seem to have alot more tolerance when it comes to shul and services in general. They can daven forever, even the irreligious ones. Speaking of which, I see that they have the end of fast listed at 8:53pm in NYC tomorrow. That's a whopping 27 minutes post-Shkiah. Can somebody tell us what shittah/shiur they use when calculating the EOF? Is that they z'man for motzoei Shabbos too?

Have yourselves a "Meaningful" תשעה באב