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Sleighing in Jerusalem

People sleighing in the snow outside the American Colony in February 1921. 

Credit: 

Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division [LC-DIG-matpc-05475

After a rare snowfall on February 25, 1921, Jerusalemites ventured out to enjoy it in various ways. Here, they are driving a horse-driven sleigh. In the background stands the building of the American Colony, a Christian utopian society renowned for its decades of social, medical, educational, and vocational service (see The Unusual Origins of an Iconic East Jerusalem Hotel). The Colony also opened a photography studio that played a significant role in photographing Jerusalem and its people before 1948, including this photo. 

Although snowfall in Jerusalem occurs only once every few years, the city’s elevation—about 754 meters (2,474 feet) above sea level—makes it one of the few Palestinian cities that occasionally experience snow.”