What is Tu B'Av?
Tu B'Av (ט״ו באב) simply means "the fifteenth of Av." The letters tet (9) and vav (6) are used to write the number fifteen in Hebrew, which is where the name "Tu" comes from. Although it is a minor day in the Jewish calendar, with no special prayers beyond a few customs, it holds a unique place in Jewish memory as a day of joy, of matchmaking and of new beginnings.
In Israel today, it is often described as the Jewish equivalent of Valentine's Day. That comparison is catchy, but it misses much of the depth of the day. Tu B'Av is not primarily about romance for its own sake; in its original setting, it was about finding a partner with whom to build a family and a home.
The source: the Mishnah in Ta'anit
The main source for Tu B'Av is the very end of tractate Ta'anit in the Mishnah (4:8). There, Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel teaches that there were no days as joyous for Israel as the fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur.
On those days, the Mishnah relates, the daughters of Jerusalem would go out dressed in white garments, all of them borrowed, so that no one who did not have fine clothes of her own would be embarrassed. They would go out and dance in the vineyards, and the young men who were not yet married would come there to find a bride.
Two details in this short passage are worth pausing on. First, the borrowed white garments: everyone wore clothing that was not her own, so that wealth and status disappeared and no one felt ashamed. Second, the link with Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year. Choosing a life partner is presented not as a light-hearted matter but as something that belongs alongside purity, sincerity and spiritual renewal.
A day when outward differences are set aside, so that people can be seen for who they truly are: a beautiful ideal for anyone searching for their zivug.
Why was this day so joyful?
The Mishnah does not explain why the fifteenth of Av was so special. The Talmud (Ta'anit 30b–31a) and later commentators offer several traditional explanations. Among the best known:
- The tribes were allowed to intermarry. After the land of Israel was divided, there was a period when women who inherited land were asked to marry within their own tribe. According to tradition, on the fifteenth of Av this restriction was lifted, and marriages between all the tribes became possible again.
- The tribe of Benjamin was readmitted. After the tragic episode at the end of the book of Judges, the other tribes had sworn not to give their daughters in marriage to Benjamin. Tradition associates the fifteenth of Av with the day this ban was eased.
- The deaths in the desert came to an end. The generation that left Egypt was decreed to die in the wilderness over forty years. According to tradition, on the fifteenth of Av of the final year, it became clear that the decree had ended.
- Other explanations mentioned in the Talmud include the day on which the slain of Betar were finally allowed to be buried, and the day on which the annual cutting of wood for the Temple altar was completed.
What these explanations share is a theme of reconnection: barriers between people fall away, and a period of grief gives way to hope.
When is Tu B'Av?
Tu B'Av falls on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Av, which usually corresponds to late July or August, in the heart of summer. Because the Jewish calendar is lunar, the fifteenth of the month coincides with the full moon.
It comes just six days after Tisha B'Av, the fast that commemorates the destruction of both Temples and many other tragedies in Jewish history. The contrast is intentional and powerful: from the lowest point of the Jewish year, the calendar moves quickly toward consolation and joy. Tu B'Av also opens the season that leads to Elul and the High Holidays, a time traditionally devoted to reflection and renewal.
Tu B'Av today
In Israel
In modern Israel, Tu B'Av has become a popular and visible celebration. It is a sought-after date for weddings, and many couples choose it to get engaged. Singles events, concerts and community gatherings are organized in many cities, and the day is widely talked about in the media. Some communities hold festive gatherings or dancing inspired by the Mishnah's description.
Reflecting its festive character, Tachanun, the penitential prayer, is not recited on Tu B'Av. If you live in or are considering Israel, our Israel page and city pages like Jerusalem give an overview of Jewish dating there.
In the diaspora
Outside Israel, Tu B'Av is less widely known, but awareness is growing. Some Jewish communities, campus organizations and synagogues now mark the day with events for singles, shiurim about its sources, or simply a moment to celebrate couples and marriage. For many diaspora Jews, discovering Tu B'Av is a way of reconnecting with a joyful side of the Jewish calendar that is often overshadowed by the better-known festivals.
A good moment to start or renew your search
You don't need a special date to look for your zivug. But dates carry meaning, and Tu B'Av offers a natural opportunity to pause and ask: Where am I in my search? What do I want the coming year to look like?
- A fresh start after a difficult period. Just as the day follows the mourning of Tisha B'Av, it can mark the end of a discouraging stretch in your own search.
- A reminder of what matters. The borrowed white garments invite us to look beyond appearances and status, and to focus on character and values.
- A bridge to Elul. Coming shortly before the High Holidays, it is a good time for honest reflection about what you are looking for and what you bring.
Practical ideas for this Tu B'Av
If you'd like to turn the day into something concrete, here are a few simple ideas:
- Create or refresh your dating profile, with a recent photo and an updated "about me" text
- Revisit your list of non-negotiables and ask whether some of them are really preferences
- Tell a friend, a relative or your rabbi that you are actively looking, and ask them to keep you in mind
- Attend a community event, a shiur or a singles gathering if there is one near you
- Add a personal tefillah for finding your zivug, in your own words
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Conclusion
Tu B'Av is a small day with a big message. Rooted in the Mishnah's image of young women in borrowed white dancing in the vineyards, and enriched by traditional explanations about barriers falling and hope returning, it reminds us that the search for a life partner is part of Jewish life at its most joyful.
Whether it's the height of summer or any other time of year, the spirit of Tu B'Av is always available: look beyond appearances, stay hopeful, and take the next step. Chag sameach, and behatzlacha!