Today is August 15th. In Jewish calendar terms, it’s also Tu B’Av, the 15th of the month of Av; a happy coincidence this year. This Jewish holiday was once a celebration of the grape harvest but is now lovingly referred to as the Jewish Valentine’s Day. The jury is no doubt split on the issue of whether or not the world really needs a second V-Day, but there it is, smack dab in the middle of the hottest month of the year. It’s a popular day for weddings, but if you’re like most of the Alef staff and not quite ready to take that leap then really it’s just a good excuse for eating chocolate, making out in public, or being extra nice to mom.

To celebrate the occasion, we have decided to try something at the mid-point on the commitment spectrum. What you’re reading is the first in a weekly series of columns on love. We’re going to have a constantly rotating cast of writers so don’t fret, we won’t make you read week after week’s worth of our own pontificating (we’ll spare you as much as we can). To be in our cast of bloggers for the Love Column, email us at alef@birthrightisraelnext.org with “Love Column” in the subject line.

Happy Tu B’Av!

Photo by Dev Null, licensed under Creative Commons.

Israeli Slang 101 – “Shalom, Mahmi” from Birthright Israel NEXT on Vimeo.
Photo by naama, licensed under Creative Commons.