Tantur Nov-Dec 2013 newsletter
#Palestine, #Israel
What an end to the year for us! After rumors of a cold, wet winter had been tempered by a warm, dry autumn, who could have guessed that Storm Alexa would not only arrive, but be the heaviest snowstorm since the Ottoman Era. All across the Holy Land a state of emergency was declared as snow piled up in unprecedented amounts. We weathered it quite well; a few moments without power, some felled trees and a few leaky spots in our roof, but otherwise it was a manageable, even enjoyable experience, with the unique sight of fresh-fallen snow in our courtyard and olive groves. Fortunately, the last of our Three-Month Sabbatical participants had left the country a few days before, as did those of our international staff who had reason to venture home for the holidays, and, as in the case of our outgoing rector and family, to arrive back home to the United States for the next leg of their own journey. Now, as the extended Christmas season of the Holy Land is upon us and another year begins, we are grateful for the friends we have made and the time we had with them. From all of us at Tantur, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, celebrating the birth of Christ in the town of Bethlehem, just a brief walk beyond our tower, and forever part of the heart, soul, and work of this special place.