Tonight begins the not-widely-observed Jewish holiday of Tu B’Av, a day with origins in ancient Jewish celebrations of courtship that’s more commonly been simplified as the Jewish day of love. And, while referring to Tu B’Av as “the Jewish Valentine’s Day” would be as flawed as referring to Purim as “the Jewish Halloween” or “the Jewish Mardi Gras,” common observances of dinners or flowers or candies may not be entirely different.

For me, there’s a special beauty in Tu B’Av, our day of love, coming just days after Tisha B’Av, one of our greatest days of sadness and mourning. Just as the cycle of civic holidays in the spring, from Yom HaShoah to Yom HaZikaron to Yom Ha’Atzmaut, tells a story of how tragedy turns to sacrifice and........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)