animal tales Archives - Jewish Telegraphic Agency

These Pigeons Flew for a Jewish Palestine

Long before city-dwellers affectionately called them “sky rats,” homing pigeons could occasionally serve a higher purpose. For one such purpose, look to the operations of Nili, the Jewish espionage network that aided the British fight against the Ottomans in Palestine during World War I. The spy ring, founded in 1915 by nationalist activist Sarah Aaronsohn and […]

Are Evil Sea Monkeys Kosher?

Ann and Jeff VanderMeer tackle tough questions in their delightful, illustrated page-turner: Could Bigfoot be served, roasted, at a seder? What about a cloven-hoofed alien? The two debate whether the 34 gloriously illustrated creatures in their The Kosher Guide to Imaginary Animals, are kosher based on Jewish law, religious texts, and sometimes just a gut feeling. They cover many different cultures too […]

The Yiddish Tale Behind the Thanksgiving Turkey

Why do we eat turkey on Thanksgiving? There are lots of explanations, but socialist Jews have the best one. It appears in a 50-year-old Yiddish story, “Farvos est men indik tenksgiving” originally published by the Workmen’s Circle, in the now-classic language book for kids, Yiddishe Kinder. The story has a heavy allegorical hand and a […]