Happy Tu B'Av (15th of Av)!

Coming out of the 'down' of Tisha B'Av (9th of Av), we're heading now into a holiday that I had not heard about before I came here to Jerusalem- Tu B'Av (15th of Av). What is it all about? A first clue is in the first sentence. A second clue is that it is designed to always fall on the last full moon before autumn gets underway. As noted by the website "My Jewish Learning",

"Tu B'Av the 15th Day of Av, is both an ancient and modern holiday. Originally a post-biblical day of joy, it served as a matchmaking day for unmarried women in the second Temple period (before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 C.E.). Tu B'Av was almost unnoticed in the Jewish calendar for many centuries but it has been rejuvenated in recent decades, especially in the modern state of Israel. In its modern incarnation it is gradually becoming a Hebrew-Jewish Day of Love, slightly resembling Valentine's Day in English-speaking countries.

...It should be noted that Tu B'Av, like several Jewish holidays (Passover, Sukkot, Tu Bishvat) begins on the night between the 14th and 15th day of the Hebrew month, since this is the night of a full moon in our lunar calendar. Linking the night of a full moon with romance, love, and fertility is not uncommon in ancient cultures.

In recent decades Israeli civil culture promotes festivals of singing and dancing on the night of Tu B'Av. The entertainment and beauty industries work overtime on this date. It has no formal legal status as a holiday-- it is a regular workday--nor has the Israeli rabbinate initiated any addition to the liturgy or called for the introduction of any ancient religious practices. The cultural gap between Israeli secular society and the Orthodox rabbinate makes it unlikely that these two will find a common denominator in the celebration of this ancient/modern holiday in the foreseeable future."

Tonight I fly back to North America for my first Wexner Graduate Fellowship Summer Institute in Stowe, Vermont. I look forward to the opportunity to explore the theme of the Jewish family with wonderful Fellows (pursuing programs in Jewish professional leadership, community leadership, education, and Jewish studies) from all walks of Jewish life. Before and after the Institute, though, I look forward to marking Tu B'Av by being reunited with my love and my family.

Wishing all a happy Tu B'Av,
D