Today is a traditional fast day, known in the Prophets as the Fast of the Tenth [Month]. This day marks the beginning of the siege on Jerusalem 2500 years ago by the Babylonians, leading to the destruction of the first Temple. The sages subsequently proclaimed this day a fast day on which Jews are instructed to focus on self-improvement and the spiritual and other causes of the Temple\'s destruction. Furthermore, shortly after the establishment of the State of Israel, the Israeli Chief Rabbinate declared this day to be the day of mourning and Kaddish recitation for all those who perished in the Holocaust but whose day of death (yahrzeit) is unknown. By choosing this day, the rabbis indicated that the tragedy of the Holocaust must be seen within the context of the catastrophes associated with the destruction of the Temple.