Tu b’Av has become the Jewish holiday of love, and we read in the Talmud: 

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: There were no days as joyous for the Jewish people as the fifteenth of Av and as Yom Kippur, as on them the daughters of Jerusalem would go out in white clothes, borrowed so as not to embarrass one who did not have her own. And the daughters of Jerusalem would go out and dance in the vineyards.  

It goes on to explain that they would dance and call out for lovers, extolling their own virtues, hoping to attract a husband.  

These two joyous occasions – marked by reaching for others, reaching for love, and reaching for connection – come right after the two most intense Jewish holidays: Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement, and Tisha b’Av, the day on which we mourn most of the greatest tragedies that have afflicted the Jewish people throughout history. That they come so close together speaks to the very natural, necessary need for love and connection when moving through grief and the waves of personal transformation. 

While our ancestors often focused on love in the form of partnership, we know that love and connection come in many shapes and forms, especially friendship and community. The invitation to dance, to build community, and form new and strengthen old connections is an integral part of our calendars cycle – not just grief or personal reflection and growth, but celebration and love!  This Tu b’Av, how can you reach for and cultivate more love – love of self, love of individuals, and love of community?