Stunning photos of Jerusalem after a 1921 blizzard, from the Library of Congress.
FYI, I titled this post “Sheleg! Sheleg!”, because it reminded me of when I got caught up in a Jerusalem blizzard almost exactly 20 years ago.
I was nearing the end of my first week of tironut (basic training), and I had been granted a coveted chamshush (acronym for Chamishi, Shishi, Shabbat – Thursday, Friday, Saturday – the IDF version of a 3-day weekend), since my family had come to visit me from the U.S.
It snowed not only in the mountains of Jerusalem, but also in the Negev Desert, a rarity in Israel. Since the snowstorm closed the Arava road, instead of being surrounded by loved ones, basking in the loving (and laundry-washing, dinner-cooking, shekel-bolstering, etc.) embrace of my family in Jerusalem, I was stuck on my base, surrounded by a bunch of giddy Israelis running around outside shouting, “Sheleg! Sheleg!” And since I had come to Israel from the American snow belt, I was less than thrilled to see snow ruin my beautiful, sweet, elusive chamshush. Yeah, I got your freakin’ sheleg right here.
Anyhoo, more photos here:
(h/t The Retronaut via David Gerstman on Twitter)
