1,500 women from all over the country and from every facet of society arrived last night in ancient Shilo for a dance festival, commemorating the age-old biblical ritual of vineyard matchmaking dancing on the 15th of Av.
To re-unite the tribes of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin decimated by a civil war described in the end of the Book of Judges, the daughters of Shilo went dancing in the vinyards to be chosen as spouses for the Benjaminites. The custom became an annual ritual across Israel, making the 15th of Av the “Happiest day of the year”.