Winter is Jerusalem is much like winter in parts of California. It rains — this particular winter, a great deal. When it rains, it often also blows strong gusts. The temperatures descend into the 50s, the 40s. Twice we’ve gotten some small hail or large sleet. Some days, it seems best to stay indoors. The laundry also stays indoors, exhaling dampness that the space heaters and even the wall heating unit do little to allay. If you go away for a few days (as I did in mid-Janaury), mold takes hold on the walls in a distressing fashion, and has to be removed with bleach.
Sometimes, of course, you have to go out, rain or no rain. The nearest bus to school or ulpan (Hebrew lessons) is a five minute to ten minute walk away. One evening I encountered this on my way to the bus stop. I don’t have rubber boots here, or rain pants. I arrived for ulpan quite damp! Fortunately, I had good chicken vegetable soup waiting at home.
With all the rain, everything that was brown, dry, and seemingly empty of life sprouts with green. In every sidewalk and wall plants appear — first a few green shoots, then robust growth, then flowers. I’ve seen many herbs — lemon balm, horse mint, wild oregano — and of course, everywhere the huge bushes of rosemary are covered with blue blossoms. The bare, dusty yards of every apartment building and house have turned solid green with Jerusalem’s ubiquitous weed, oxalis. Now the green carpet is sending up tall blossom stalks, and lemon yellow flowers are gaily popping out. Meanwhile, people who have flower gardens are seeing the first cultivated spring bulbs — anemones and narcissus and cyclamen.
Meanwhile, on schedule for T”U BiShvat (the fifteenth of the month of Shvat), the shkediya (almond trees) begin to unfold their pale pink and white blossoms. At T”U BiShvat we sing: “HaShkediya porachat v’shemesh paz zorachat; tziporim merosh kol gag m’vasrot et bo heChag. T”U BiShvat higiya, Chag haIlanot! The almond trees are blooming, and the sun shines its rays; birds from the top of every roof bring the good news of the coming of the holiday. The fifteenth of Shvat has arrived, the holiday of the trees!” This year, they didn’t come into full bloom until a few days after the festival, but now in late February they are in full bloom in many yards and vacant lots, a joyful harbinger of spring. Other shrubs also are putting out blossoms.
The nights are still cool, and sometimes misty. The “locals” complain that winter is too long and cold. I tell about Vermont, but they have forgotten, if they ever knew, what a real winter looks like. Meanwhile, I feel as if spring is really already here.
Nine months in Israel 