Snow!

It was completely exciting for all, as it is often years between snowfalls here. For the locally born Israeli kids in our neighborhood, there were squeals of delight as the fluffy flakes fell. For those of us who grew up in Canada and other countries that regularly saw snow, it was a nostalgic moment that brought back memories of “snow days” where school would be canceled, and we would build snowmen, go tobogganing (or as Americans call it, sledding), drink hot chocolate, and revel in a day of cold freedom and play.

And there are immigrants here who have never seen snow in their lives– whether they came here from South Africa, Ethiopia, or other snowless countries.

Yes, in Israel, it is the fulfillment of the prophecy, “And they will come back from the four corners of the earth.”

I wish you were here to see the collective glee of kids in all shapes, sizes, colors, languages, and cultures, all reveling in the rare moment of playful delight, all sent from Above—joyful unity without uniformity.

Even my husband, born and bred in Chicago, came running with a big smile on his face when he heard me shout, “It’s SNOWING!”

From chilly, beautiful Jerusalem–