Dawn on the Tenth of Tevet
It is still dark when the first worshippers reach the Western Wall. The plaza lights throw long shadows across the stones; the air is cold and carries the smell of wet limestone and the faint smoke of bus exhaust from the Dung Gate road. By first light, a crowd has gathered in silence, and the fast of Asarah B'Tevet has begun.
Asarah B'Tevet is a minor fast: it starts at dawn and ends at nightfall, so it is observed during daylight hours only. It commemorates the day the Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem — the beginning of the events that culminated in the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash on Tisha B'Av. Other calamities are traditionally associated with the day, including the translation of the Torah into Greek and the death of Ezra HaSofer.
Recite Kaddish at the Western Wall
The most concrete thing a visitor can do in Jerusalem on this day is to stand at the Western Wall for the recitation of Kaddish. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel designated Asarah B'Tevet as the day to recite Kaddish for Holocaust victims whose yahrtzeits — dates of death — are unknown. If you have come to say Kaddish for someone whose date of death was never recorded, this is the day the city sets aside for it.
Arrive early; the plaza fills as the morning goes on, and the fast ends only at nightfall.
Keep the Fast Through the Short Winter Day
Because Asarah B'Tevet is a dawn-to-nightfall fast, your day in Jerusalem is shaped by the short winter light. Plan around it:
- Eat a substantial meal before dawn, then begin the fast at first light.
- Spend the middle of the day in the Old City, where the day's observance is concentrated.
- Break the fast after nightfall — a natural moment to gather with others over a meal.
The fast is a full day's observance but not a full day's fast, which leaves room to see the city before and after.
Walk the Old City Between the Hours
The Old City is where the day's meaning is most legible. Walk from the Western Wall through the surrounding lanes. The markets are quiet during the fast, and the usual press of the day is thinner; the streets around the Wall and the routes leading to it are where the day's crowds and prayers are found.
Because the fast ends at nightfall, the late afternoon is the time to be in position near the Wall, where the day concludes.
When to Go
Asarah B'Tevet falls in the winter, and the fast runs from dawn to nightfall — so the day is short and the light is low. Dress for cold, wet weather and plan your walking for the daylight hours. In 2026, check the Hebrew calendar for the exact date, then build your day around first light and nightfall.
Plan Around the Fast
Start by checking the date for 2026, then book your stay within walking distance of the Old City so you can reach the Western Wall at dawn and stay through nightfall. The day is short; the observance is specific; and the city, on this day, is at the Wall.