HEITING JEWISH FAMILIES GROW"'

'From the Editor:

Why it fun to make fun of yourself.

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Here's your ticket to an adventure a coarc
the hick seas ... with \oah.

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Elizabeth Applebaum AppleTree Editor

W

e know that Noah was a righteous man.
We know the fate of his ark remains a
mystery, though various explorers have
claimed to find it.
And we know that Noah's journey came to an end
when a dove returned, carrying an olive leaf that sig-
naled dry land.
But what about the practical aspects of life on the
ark. Have you wondered exactly what all those ani-
mals ate during their long journey? Or what about
when all the animals were taken on board?
Here are a few fun facts (and a few famous leg-
ends) about Noah's Ark:
IR. According to legend, a mysterious bird called the
urshana accompanied Noah and his family aboard the
ark. The legend says that the creature had an unusual-
ly kind heart. When it saw Noah working cease-
lessly to feed all the creatures, it retreated, not
wanting to increase his burden. At last Noah
came across the urshana as it slept in a cor-
ner. When it woke, he asked, "Aren't you
hungry?" The bird replied that it was,

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but that it hadn't wanted to bother Noah.
For this, legend says, the urshana was given eternal
life.
A.'. The ark was made of "gopher wood," likely
cedar or cypress. It had three stories — one for
Noah and his family and animals that would be
designated as kosher; one for animals that would
come to be designated as treife; and one for
garbage.
Po, The animals began to come to the ark one
week before the flood. And yes, every species was
included — even some 365 reptiles. But one ani-
mot was too big to get aboard; it was called
the re'em, a massive ox who was instead
attached to the ark and rode behind, floating
in the water until the flood was over.
• Life aboard the ark was indeed orga-
nized. In fact, each person had a specific job: Noah
was responsible for the wild animals. His son Shem over-
saw care of the domestic creature. Japeth saw to the
reptiles, and Ham watched over the birds.
They didn't have any gefilte fish or cholent

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