RISHON LEZION, Israel — Here in the Holy Land, there are essentially two seasons: dry and wet. In the summer, it is humid in the center but dry in the south — and it never rains. In the winter, it is less warm, and it rains frequently. The seasons change fairly rapidly. There is little spring or fall.
I had not seen rain since I lived in Jerusalem in February. But just now, a few minutes after Shabbat ended, it rained for the first time. (There were two light drizzles a few weeks ago, but it ended quickly.) People are so happy to see the first rain that sometimes they run outside to celebrate. Right now, on the street outside of my apartment building, a few children were singing in Hebrew, “Rain, rain, everyday!”
I’m happy to see it myself. I had almost forgotten what rain was like. It smells so fresh in my apartment since I had the window open.
