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HWYS 1 & 443 Reopened in Both Directions to and from Jerusalem [UPDATED 14:20 IL]
I was constantly refreshing this article yesterday. It is unbelievable to me that the city of Jerusalem was so unprepared for the snow. It created a real public safety issue. My husband and I were stuck at Malcha for over an hour, standing outside in the freezing cold with a cartful of groceries for Shabbbos, and there were no taxis. I called a dozen companies and they either didn’t answer or told me they weren’t sending taxis out on the roads. Because everyone in our situation was standing around with nothing to do, they decided to have some fun. A group of teenage boys took off their shirts and posed for a picture in the snow. Another group of boys went up to the roof and started throwing snowballs at cars and people below. One snowball hit a little girl. They wouldn’t stop even when the security guards yelled at them. There was also an old woman with a walker waiting with us. Finally, we got a ride partway home and figured we’d have to walk the rest of the way, carrying our heavy groceries, while snow was still falling. Our fingers were frozen and numb. Finally, a car stopped and a nice couple offered to take us home, even though it was out of their way and they weren’t familiar with the streets. It made all the difference for us.
As far as I can tell, the city still has not recovered. There have been power outages, water damage, etc. A friend of mine extended last-minute Shabbos invitations to a group of yeshiva boys who have no heat or hot water in their dorm. Baruch Hashem we are able to stay home for Shabbos– initially we were planning to go to the Gush, but because of road closures it’s not possible anymore. I am really shocked by the devastation that snow can cause– shouldn’t there be emergency systems in place to deal with this kind of thing? Next time, I really hope the city is better equipped to handle it!
I am surprised to hear you say that. Why should they put so much money in to resources for something that so rarely happens?
I’ve been through 3 or 4 of these. Yerushalayim is not and never will be prepared for a snow storm! Although this one, enveloping all of Israel in one form or other is worse than has happened in years.
It is hard for them to be prepared for a storm, since it’s a city with hills. You probably need chains on the tires in order to get traction… which people that live in cities have chains?
My friend sent me pics. HOW GORGEOUS IS THAT?????????]
I am surprised to hear you say that. Why should they put so much money in to resources for something that so rarely happens?”
SYAG, I bet the people who put no money into protection from a rare hurricane flooding and surges, would answer differently.
I thought of that but I think that was my point. You can be beyond sorry that you didn’t put measures into place, but how can you be critical about it? Both situations were rare occurrences, and to whomever said he had been through this 3 or 4 times,that was not 8-10 inches of snow which isn’t effortless even for a city like Chicago. There’s nothing wrong with teaching kids to practice hurricane drills in places that never have them, but to consider investing millions of dollars on shelter and security measures? I don’t know.
JF: I knew there would be snow, and planned my day accordingly although not well enough. My first job was in Sanhedria, and after that, I did some essentials shopping in Ramat Eshkol before heading home to Ramot. That ten minute trip took two and a half hours with gridlock havoc due to icy downgrades and a mass exit from Har Hotzvim. This was Thursday at the very beginning of the storm. By Thursday night, from our perch above the highways, we knew is it was stupid to try, or rely on anything automotive. So we made an unusual Shabbos menu and we adapted. There is no substitute for resilience and foresight. Being able to hunkier down and give the weather due respect also helps.
This is the worst blizzard in the Holy City in well over half a century. Barely a tree remained whole. Pargolas, roofs, and awnings are down everywhere. It is the equivalent of a three-four foot snowstorm on the East Coast. Some things you just can’t be ready for. Take Superstorm Sandy, for example.
jewishfeminist02″ may i ask, are you a tourist or do you live there? Why is it up to the city to figure out how you and your groceries are going to get home in a snow storm. May i ask why, when they warned about the storm for days beforehand, you didnt go to malkha then to buy your shabbos groceries? I think the problem here is that you are placing your (NewYork? ) mentality on Israel which is not reasonable.
Yerushalayim is not and never will be prepared for a snow storm! This assertion doesn’t sound 1 iota different from New York City, or at any rate from the 4 outer boroughs of New York City.
Canada & Russia know how to deal with snow. America does not. in Britain they don’t even have laws of cleaning the sidewalks, so they become an ice rink any time it snows in the UK.
This assertion doesn’t sound 1 iota different from New York City, or at any rate from the 4 outer boroughs of New York City.
Canada & Russia know how to deal with snow. America does not.
147 – just curious, America doesn’t know how to deal with snow because New York is America?
147 – just curious, America doesn’t know how to deal with snow because New York is America?
Also Lakewood.
Do they sell Romanian hot dogs in Lakewood?
In every gas station.
The pictures are beautiful.
To the people saying USA doesn’t know how to deal with snow, you are mistaken. I was visiting Minneapolis in February. When I arrived it was in the 40s and there was no snow on the ground. The day I left they had a typical storm that dumped 8 inches in a little more than 2 hours. The city easily able to handle the snow. So you see from this that parts of the USA do know how to deal with snow. New York City is not America!
The USA does not know how to handle snow. Minnesota is not America! It’s not even Romania!
As an American, who has repeatedly lived thru snow storms, When I heard to weather forecast, I called my daughters in Israel on Tuesday and warned them. They did their shopping on Wednesday, did their laundry and cooked in advance.
they were ready, but even so, they lost power, at various times, lost their eruv and worried about power & heat on Shabbos. But they stayed home and stayed safe.
EVERYONE knew the storm was coming ! What fools left their errands for the night the storm was to start ?
Most Israeli’s I know, who are former Americans, did the same, parked their cars and hunkered down !!
Romanian hot dogs are not from Romania either
You’re right. I Googled it, and apparently they’re from a country named Illinois. Is that near Chicago?
Daas – I heard a New Yorker ask my friend (a Chicago kid) what the state capital of Chicago was.
Shabbos we had 4 inches of snow. Nobody drove anywhere, none of us could even shovel til well after nightfall. What a calamity!
I don’t think you guys are fair to the Israeli system.
Remember that when it snows in Russia, the snow remains a continuous frozen mass, and it much easier to work with. In this country it ocntinuously changes, from about 36f to below 30f so the snow melts, and turns into black ice. Slso, the snow is mainly on mountainous areas, makingthings impossible. Throw in that all too many israeli’s haven’t even the money for boots, and simply put plastic bags over their shoes to keep out the water, that the nost the cars lying abandoned would long have been on the garbage heap in the good ole US, throw in that the transport is already at capacity… The Israeli’s did a mighty good job.
Ahhh…
Sigh of relief.
Thanks, IChutznik.
I was waiting for a comment like yours.
Let’s not compare the winding, twisty, hilly, steeply sloping, narrow streets of Yerushalayim to the flat streets of Brooklyn, neatly laid out in a grid.
A grid that turned into a chaotic unplowed mess the last time we had a major storm.
BSteak, just because you can spell Minneapolis, doesn’t mean there is such a place.
And DaasY, you’re right about Lakewood, but please don’t forget Monsey and Monroe.
Israeli chutznik, we are being VERY FAIR to the israeli [lack of] system. As i pointed out in another thread, the israeli system generally is very underequipped.
Take the snow. How much does it take to be a little proactive and grit the roads before it starts? A bit of grit woud have gone a long long way.
The light rail company have a special piece of equipment to clear the tracks of snow. Yet the israelis simply didn’t bother buying it. Why do the isralei always wait for problems and then solve them about a third of the way rather than being more proactive?
The biggest lesson we can learn from this in Chutz Lo’Oretz for future years is to commence veSein Tal uMotor on marChehvon 7th and not wait all the way thru December 4th, because no sooner than Chutz loOretz commenced recital of veSain Tal uMotor, and the rains commenced in Israel for real.
Of-course the other lesson learned from this is how vital our prayers are for Eretz Yisroel, and how much more focused we must remain on Eretz Yisroel.
I agree with From Long Island. I told my kids the exact same thing.
Syag – Not only did Yershayim not prepare for natural disasters, neither does NYC. IHMO, Gov. will spend $ on art, but not on
saving lives!
The kids must have had a ball with that amount of snow. igloo’s snowmen, until they came back home all cold with no source of heat.
They need to start implementing changes to their system so as to not cripple an entire country, especially one that prides itself on being on the cutting edge of technology.
Is it true that they are predicting more snow for yerusholayim for the end of the week????
Zushy, no its not true.
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