25,000 singles pray to find mate

Nearly 25,000 Israeli singles arrived at the grave site of Second Temple-era sage Yonatan Ben Uziel in Amuka, near Safed in northern Israel, over the past weekend to offer up prayers, notes, and lacy panties — all in a bid to find their perfect match.

According to Jewish tradition, it is particularly auspicious to pray at the sage’s tomb on the anniversary of his death, 26 Sivan, which fell on Saturday; singles seeking their soul mates are said to be married within a year of offering up supplication at the holy site.

The custom has become increasingly popular in recent years, Yisrael Deri, supervisor of holy sites in the north, told Ma’ariv: “Each year, the number of pilgrims grows and grows.”

Yonatan Ben Uziel supposedly dedicated his life to learning Torah and as a result never married. He therefore dedicated himself in the afterlife to helping soulmates find each other.

Hadassah, an ultra-Orthodox woman who found her match after taking part in the annual prayer rituals, testified to the miracles that occur at the tomb: “I don’t know how it works, but in reality many of my girlfriends who couldn’t find a match went there, prayed, and found their groom,” Maariv reported.

However, in addition to offering traditional prayers, many of those seeking a match also leave names, phone numbers, email addresses, bras and panties at the grave. It is unclear how such souvenirs will help the sage with his matchmaking task.