Tu B'Av love story: How two Jerusalem retirees found love after a lifetime apart

ByGIL LEWINSKYAUGUST 1, 2026 03:53As Jews around the world kindle their flames for Tu B’Av, the Festival of Love, one remarkable story from the Mediterranean Towers Jerusalem retirement complex serves as a powerful reminder that love knows no age. Barry Halpern, 90, and Rica Cuperman, 80, an American-Israeli couple who found each other deep in retirement, prove that some of life’s greatest blessings arrive when we least expect them.For Barry, the journey to this moment began decades before he ever met Rica. Born in Manchester, England, he moved with his family to California after World War II and spent most of his life in Los Angeles.An accomplished interior designer and furniture store manager, Barry was deeply involved in the Conservative Jewish community, even helping design a synagogue, an achievement he still speaks of with great pride. Yet, long before his professional career, Israel had already captured his heart.“When I was 10,” Barry recalled, “my parents sent me to summer camp, where many of the counselors had returned from what was then Mandatory Palestine. They inspired all of us with stories about Israel, and I remember thinking that one day I would live there.”New immigrants arrive on a special ''Aliyah Flight'' at Ben-Gurion Airport, August 14, 2019; illustrative. (credit: FLASH90)That childhood dream became reality after retirement. Following the loss of his wife and daughter, and after his son and daughter-in-law made aliyah, Barry fulfilled a lifelong ambition by immigrating to Israel in November 2022 and moving into the Mediterranean Towers Jerusalem.He was looking forward to beginning a new chapter, but he never imagined that chapter would include finding love again.Rica’s path to the retirement complex was very different. Born in Romania after World War II, she immigrated to Israel as a child after her family traveled through several countries before finally reaching their new home. They settled in Moshav Olesh before Rica eventually moved to Jerusalem to study at university.She dedicated 35 years of her career to Jerusalem Municipality’s Welfare Department, helping countless families throughout the city. Although she never married, she built a rich and independent life filled with friendships, family, and meaningful work.Life before and after meeting her partnerLooking back today, Rica smiles and says she divides her life into two parts: the life before Barry, and the life after meeting him.Their story began with the brief encounter most people would quickly forget. The two happened to meet at the complex’s community coffee bar. Barry didn’t even realize Rica spoke English. They exchanged a few friendly words before going their separate ways. “It felt pleasant,” Barry reflected, “but I continued on with my day.”A few months later, after Barry experienced several health scares that required hospital visits, Rica approached him to ask how he was feeling. Touched by her kindness, Barry asked if she would join him for dinner.She said yes.Their first date took place at a local restaurant with live music on a warm summer evening. However, hours of conversation and laughter led to something else – a realization of a connection between the two.“We weren’t expecting it,” Barry said. “I certainly wasn’t looking for it. It just happened.”THAT DINNER marked the beginning of a relationship neither of them had planned, but both now cherish. Museums, concerts, shopping trips, restaurants, and community events quickly became part of their everyday lives. Barry often jokes that although he is older than Rica, she is the one who keeps him active.“She keeps me moving,” he laughed. “We go to museums, restaurants, shopping, whatever comes along. My family is thrilled that I’ve found someone, and I’m thrilled too.”When asked what their relationship means to him, Barry paused thoughtfully before answering.“First, I thank God for putting both of us in this place at exactly this time. Finding each other feels like finding a needle in a haystack. We bonded so quickly, fell in love, and built a deep relationship. It has filled both of our lives with joy, and I am grateful every single day.”Despite their instant click, the two couldn’t have been more different. Barry is an American immigrant; Rica is a veteran Israeli. He is religious; she is secular. Their political views often differ completely. Yet those differences have become one of the greatest strengths of their relationship.“If I had met him years ago,” Rica admitted, “I probably wouldn’t have noticed him.”Reflecting on how the relationship began, she chuckled.“I thought, why not?” She laughed as she recalled his request to go to dinner. “What could possibly be wrong?”Everything changed after that meal.“Our conversations are amazing,” she said. “Even when we disagree, we know how to bridge those differences.”Introducted partner to aspects of Judaism she never experiencedBarry has introduced Rica to aspects of Jewish religious life she had never experienced, while Rica has opened Barry’s eyes to Israeli society, taking him to cultural events, introducing him to her family, and making sure language never stood in the way of experiencing life together.They have created something that transcends politics, religion, and nationality, a relationship built on curiosity, kindness, respect, and genuine companionship.They speak English with one another, something Rica noted with a quiet pride considering her past hesitation with the language as an Israeli.As Tu B’Av celebrates the enduring power of love, Barry and Rica’s journey together shows that life indeed doesn’t follow a timetable – it simply arrives when hearts are open to receive it.For Noa Pasternak-Bardugo, CEO of Mediterranean Towers Jerusalem, Barry and Rica’s story embodies a beautiful sense of bonding for people in their third age.“Our primary mission is to foster a vibrant community where meeting people and forming meaningful connections are simply a way of life,” she said. “It is a community that enables people to continue living full, enriching lives while building genuine relationships.”For Noa, Barry and Rica’s story is among the most moving examples of that vision becoming reality. “Rica and Barry’s story is a wonderful reminder that love knows no age,” she said. “There could be no more fitting occasion than Tu B’Av to celebrate their special bond and the extraordinary joy they have found in one another.”Follow us on Google