A Worthy Bird
In a fitting tribute to the spirit of the Jewish people, Israel’s newly chosen national bird is the hoopoe. Known for its golden crown of feathers, this bird is the subject of many stories and legends. Perhaps the most famous is one involving King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.
As the legend goes, the Queen of Sheba comes to visit King Solomon in his royal palace and wishes to see a display of might. In order to fulfill her request, King Solomon summons all the birds of the world before him, determined to build her a palace of bird beaks. The hoopoe is the last to arrive, but he cleverly invokes the riddle game, summarily causing King Solomon to realize that his request is inhumane. To honor the hoopoe for his courage and daring, King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba gift him with a golden crown.
Despite the prominent place it holds in Jewish folklore, the hoopoe is listed in the Old Testament as “abhorrent” — an impure, forbidden food.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30