Alekhem 'eda qedoshah

The qinnot (dirges) for the Ninth of Av, the Hebrew date marking the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, are one of the oldest musical layers in the Western Sephardi liturgical repertoire. The present qinnah is modeled after the Four Questions from the Passover haggadah. The day of the week on which Passover occurs in any given year corresponds to the day on which the Ninth of Av falls. This correspondence serves to underscore the tragic juxtaposition a of the day that represents Jewish liberation against the day marking the national defeat. Almost the same melody is sung in Amsterdam and New York City. A version of this melody appears in the Aguilar and De Sola anthology (1857: 47, no. 51).