Surviving Winter

Sitting in my apartment in Israel, I feel it. No, not the winter chill—that’s a long way off in this hot country, where 80-degree days are still the norm. I’m talking about the thick layer of depression that has settled on the land, as employees and schoolchildren alike realize this is it, the long haul, until Pesach vacation. (Yes, schools will have off on Chanukah, but the country won’t shut down as a whole until Seder time).

Just as regular routine was sputtering back to life after the vacation frenzy of August, “The Chagim (Holidays)” came, and the country ground to a halt once again. But now, friends, we’re back. The calendar for the next few months is not interspersed with gray days, indicating days off, where we can sleep late and not make lunches. Just weeks and weeks of white.

But it’s not all bad! Here are some things to look forward to during this lengthy “choref zman” (winter season).

1. The rains are coming! In Israel and outside of Israel, we start saying the prayer for rain on Simchat Torah. And, if the brown mountains across from my balcony are any indication, we desperately need the rain. When the yoreh (first rain) arrives, the excitement in the streets is palpable. I think back to my own childhood, how we grumbled about rain and sang songs wishing it would go away. Here, all the rain songs are in praise of the wet stuff. So we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the replenishing rains, along with wearing winter clothes and sweating less.

2. Grow, grow, grow! In Israel, winter is when things come alive. Grass, flowers, trees—after the arid heat of the summer, the wet season allows nature to grow and flourish. The cooler weather means it’s a perfect time for hikes and parks. And the under-celebrated Tu B’Shvat, the “birthday” of the trees, always falls in the middle or end of winter. There is a well-known Tu B’Shvat song about the almond tree blossoming; we love to go to one of our favorite parks on Tu B’Shvat and check out our local almond trees to catch the blossoming in action.

3. We need routine! That’s right. Routine may be boring, but it’s good. And necessary. When you don’t have to remind yourself ten times a day what day it is, or expend all your energy on cooking, cleaning and celebrating, your brain cells are freed up to concentrate on other things. Like work. Or children. Or solving problems, which may or may not involve work or children. Or thinking about the world. Oh, blessed sameness. We’ve longed for you.

4. Chanukah is coming! If you just can’t hack the monotony, if you need a jolt of excitement (and sugar), you can always do what the Israelis do and start planning for the next Big Thing—Chanukah! Sufganiot (jelly doughnuts) start appearing in the supermarkets and bakeries immediately after Sukkot. Because it’s never too early to prepare for the next party! So snap out of your funk and go pick up one of those powdered doughnuts. And can you get one for me, too? I’ve got a long week ahead.