Exclusive: Street Goats in Bnei Brak
Visitors to Israel are struck by the presence of the “street cats” who live comfortably among the urban population. But only Bnei Brak, Israel’s most densely populated city, has the zchut or privilege of being home to a herd of wild goats.
It started when my 12-year-old son told me that he sees sheep on his way to school. “You see WHAT?” I said. “I told you before,” he complained. “You never listen to me.” After some discussion we determined that they must be goats, and I reluctantly let him take my camera to collect the evidence. (Read here about the last time I let one of my kids touch my camera).
Goats in Bnei Brak, Israel
I wonder about what goats are doing in the predominantly charedi city of Bnei Brak. They might be useful for garbage disposal, the next time the municipality goes bankrupt and suspends sanitation service for a few weeks. Or residents could use them as an alternative source of kosher milk.
- Don’t butt heads with this kid
Perhaps they are meant to send us a spiritual message. Like the goats we have lost our way, forced to wander aimlessly without a true leader. Who will be the goatherd that we so desperately need? We clearly cannot rely on our politicians. Only the Holy One, Blessed Be He, can guide us through the challenges we face as a nation.
- Mehhh.
Related: Mrs. S. has a post by an Israeli goat owner.
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Batya Said,
February 15, 2009 @ 5:39 AM
And I thought that goats were just common pets in yishuvim like Shiloh…
rickismom Said,
February 15, 2009 @ 8:00 AM
I live in Bnei Brak and have never seen goats! But when I was a new olah (back in the dark ages….) I woke up one morning in my apartment in Ramat Gan to hear cows. Yes, there had been about three cows on our lawn, right in the middle of the big metropolis!
Ben-Yehudah Said,
February 15, 2009 @ 9:44 AM
B”H
Those look awfully clean and well-taken care of for “wild” goats. Maybe they’re allowed to run around in the day, and come back home at night.
Do they cause a lot of damage?
I take it they’re not running around Jabotinsky St., otherwise they would’ve been picked up by now.
Keep us updated.
mominisrael Said,
February 15, 2009 @ 9:56 AM
Batya, maybe someone abandoned them?
Ricki and Ben-Yehuda: They’re in Kiryat Herzog, on Roth St. Quite near the Geha intersection. I asked my son whether anyone noticed him taking pictures, and he said there was no one around. Ricki, I had no idea you lived so close!
mominisrael Said,
February 15, 2009 @ 9:56 AM
Make that, Ricki’s Mom!
Mia Said,
February 15, 2009 @ 10:57 AM
That’s funny. I haven’t heard of urban goats! In my area (Emek Izrael) it’s cattle. Cows roam around the green areas grazing.
When we were new, we were astonished to see a bull eating roses in a neighbors garden, but it wasn’t a big deal for them. Luckily our yard is fenced so they can’t just roam in there. But other smaller animals do.
annie Said,
February 15, 2009 @ 11:04 AM
Many years ago (over 30) I lived in Bayit Vegan in Jerusalem. I used to hear a baa-ing on my way home from work most days and I thought I must be hallucinating. Until one day, I heard a boy saying “coem on Had Gadya!”, and I saw a little boy taking his pet goat on a leash for a walk! The goat was kept in the garden of an apartment block. Only in Israel!
Rafi G Said,
February 15, 2009 @ 11:09 AM
That is great! Maybe they use them to mow their lawns… if anybody in Bnei Brak has a lawn to mow!
mominisrael Said,
February 15, 2009 @ 11:14 AM
Apologies to anyone having trouble posting comments. I’m playing around with getting Hebrew to appear.
mominisrael Said,
February 15, 2009 @ 11:19 AM
I set it back to the original settings, so no Hebrew for now.
Robin Said,
February 15, 2009 @ 12:27 PM
How bizarre.
PS Your feed isn’t showing up in my google reader since the move.
triLcat Said,
February 15, 2009 @ 12:54 PM
baah!
and yeah, your feed is broken
mominisrael Said,
February 15, 2009 @ 12:56 PM
Sorry about the feed and commenting problems. Please bear with me.
Yisrael Medad Said,
February 15, 2009 @ 1:45 PM
Quick, get a Beit-Mikdash, we’ve got sacrifice candidates!
Mrs. S. Said,
February 15, 2009 @ 5:13 PM
LOL!
Only in Israel!
Thanks for the link.
Ben-Yehudah Said,
February 15, 2009 @ 7:08 PM
Qiriyath Hertzog? Isn’t that the Tzi’eini neighborhood? ;-}
Yes, Rafi, there are in fact lawns in B’nei Black. Turn south off of Jabotinsky, and you’re bound to run into a few.
Baila Said,
February 15, 2009 @ 10:37 PM
I was annoyed with myself when a few weeks ago I couldn’t photograph a donkey in Tel-Aviv because I had neglected to put my camera back in my bag. That’s not so unusual here, but my friends in America would’ve gotten a kick out of it. But goats in Bnei Brak. Really funny.
When I lived in Cedarhurst, there was a chicken running around someone’s front yard. We would pass it every Shabbat on our way home from shul. Until one Shabbat it wasn’t there….
Miriam Said,
February 17, 2009 @ 10:18 PM
Well, there is a herd of feral cows that traipse confidently around Tsfat. But Tsfat is semi-rural. If it weren’t for the photos, I wouldn’t have believed that goats roam Bnei Brak.
mominisrael Said,
February 18, 2009 @ 3:52 PM
For the feed, try amotherinisrael.com/feed, it worked for me.
YM, good idea.
Mrs. S: You’re welcome, and thanks for linking back. I didn’t post the story about the Russian goat that produces human breast milk.
BY: They won’t have lawns for long. Not much in BB is tzioni anymore.
Baila: Always keep that camera on hand. Are you the only other person in the country without a camera on your cellphone?
Miriam: Cows seem to be common.
Ben-Yehudah Said,
February 18, 2009 @ 11:32 PM
Were you trying to make a connection between being a tzi’eini and having a lawn, or were you expressing two different thoughts?
;-}
Petach Tikva’s Bat Cave | A Mother in Israel Said,
February 27, 2009 @ 11:13 AM
[...] More on animals in urban settings: The “Street Goats” of Bnei Brak. [...]
bottleworld.net Said,
August 5, 2009 @ 3:25 AM
[...] League advocates and educates on behalf of urban goats, who can be pets and milk producers (or wanderers). In contrast, the goat above was actually more of a professional, part of a weeding crew [...]