Perspectives on Winter

I think I know the exact moment winter started this year. I think it was Sunday, around 5am. I was standing at the bus stop in the pouring rain with my police jacket on checking busses for illegal workers coming into Israel from the territories. The policeman with me was soaking as well in the freezing rain. He turned to me and said: “Isn’t it such a bracha (blessing)?” He continued: “It’s so wonderful to work in the rain.” I guess in a place where even in the rainy season it doesn’t rain much, it’s refreshing to see someone feeling refreshed in a shower of blessings, rather than being in a dark, cold, downpour. We were in that bus stop for a few hours, coming out to check busses every ten minutes or so, it was quite an interesting morning. We did find a couple workers without permits and took them back to the checkpoint, as they put it at the station “It’s too rainy and cold to hold anyone today.” Maybe that will change one day when Modiin builds a proper lockup, but for now, the rain washes everything away.

Down at the checkpoint, there was a Yemenite guy who looked like he was ready to hit the beach. The soldiers were huddled up in their winter gear and looked freezing cold, this guy was walking through the checkpoint wearing flip flops, a tank top and shorts. It takes all kinds to figure out what winter really is here.