August 8, 2022

Tu B'Av Conversations: SHALVA Talks Love

Learn about Tu B'Av and hear from SHALVA's Board President and Executive Director about what love means to them.

The Jewish holiday of Tu B’Av is all about love. In ancient times, single women would dress in white and dance together in a vineyard so single men would know they were eligible. While this joyous holiday dropped off in popularity over centuries, there has been a recent resurgence! Many Jewish folks enjoy celebrating Tu B’Av as a Day of Love (think: Valentine’s Day).

At SHALVA, our work is not just about abusive relationships. We care deeply about promoting healthy relationships within our community (the new Seven Circles program is a great example of the healthy relationship work that we do!). We turned to new board president, Naomi Senser, and our Executive Director, Carol Ruderman, and asked them, “What does love mean to you?”. Here’s what they had to say:

"Love to me starts with finding that person who, more than anyone you know, makes you happy and is easy to be with. But it is nurtured, matured, and endures through respect, mutual trust and caring, listening, and understanding that it’s ok to have independent thoughts and interests. Love is being able to find joy in each other’s joy." Naomi Senser, SHALVA Board President.

“Love means that you would not want to go through the joys and challenges of life with anyone else. You are there for each other no matter what. As the years go by, you are still able to get back to the way you felt when you first fell in love.” Carol Ruderman, SHALVA Executive Director.