This is the origin of the idea of the scapegoat. There were two goats as part of this ritual, one for God and one to be sent away called "Azazel". The Azazel goat that is sent away to absolve all the sins of the people in this compelling and strange ritual is a very powerful, and almost sinister, symbol.
The legacy of Azazel might mean that we would have inherited a great fear of goats. Yet goats pop up all over Jewish folklore. Perhaps because they were such a common sight tethered to so many gateposts in our homes, they feature frequently in the Jewish imagination in warm, positive and sometimes mystical terms.
Whether bringing almonds and raisins to the cradle in Abraham Goldfaden's lullabies, smiling mysteriously as they float in Chagall paintings, or silently leading the questing Jew to the Holy Land in Agnon's stories, goats are humble, friendly creatures, part of the Jewish family.
Jews have also often been stereotyped as the scapegoat for the world, accused wrongly and unfairly blamed for problems not of their making.
