According to an article on The Shmooze, an increasing number of Jewish dog owners are throwing "Bark Mitzvah" parties for their dogs upon reaching the age of 13 in canine years.
Recently a New Jersey Pomeranian named Nicky donned a kippah and attended his Bark Mitzvah ceremony with his owner and canine friends. If the video that appeared on Gothamist is any indication, his ceremony involved the reciting of Jewish blessings and even having the dog "read" the Torah, Judaism's most sacred text. The AP describes this trend as a "booming multimillion-dollar industry," though it's hard to believe more than a few dog owners would throw Bark Mitzvah parties for their canines.
Not surprisingly, members of the Jewish community are not thrilled with the idea of dogs participating in Jewish religious tradition. A Bar Mitzvah "is something that young Jewish adults have prepared for for years and it's really a part of a sacred tradition," said Rabbi Daniel Satlow. "To imagine that a dog could do anything like this is degrading."
Image credit: Getty Images/Vikki Hart
I love dogs, but this is absurd and reflects both ignorance and thoughtlessness on the part of the owners. It is, indeed, “degrading.”
Absolutely not! Is nothing sacred anymore, or is Judaism really going to the dogs? What’s next, a bris? Only in America.
this is sacreligious and abdurd. Dogs can not learn scripture.
This is pure nonsense. We have enough good deeds to do already and thus need not create any new ones.
I am a Christian Orthodox priest. While I would happily give a dog, or any animal, a special blessing, I would not administer a sacrament to them, and I would consider a Bar Mitzvah is in my humble opinion, the equivilant of a sacrament. In fact, I think the Christian sacrament of confirmation had its origins in the Jewish Bar Mitzvah. I say this with all respect.
Nuuu, so vye nisht?
Some somebodies invented the “Bat Mitzvah” for fun and profit? So where was THAT written?
This is one of the most stupid and demeaning actions that the liberal American Jewish community has recently done.
Why? What is so lacking in their lives that they find joy in making a dog a bar mitzva.
Have they all gone mad.
Ah, perhaps they have. According to the polls most of them are still supporting Obama, the most unsupportive US president Israel has experienced in many years.
Shame of them.
has judaism gone to the dogs? this is disgusting and idolotrous, it must be stopped immediately.
All animals has soul . So let us give a chance to be with G-D. The animals know more about what is right and what is wrong than some humans does
This is totally degrading to the Jewish religion. Would a Catholic allow their dog to have First Communion? I think not!
Respect your religion.
We really need a PR firm that will educate the world at large and many of our own of all the good things we currently are and what we do.
This stupidity gets press. How about the note worthy, really ‘cool’ things that we do. Why can’t we find a positive Jewish role model that children and adults can admire?
Stupid conspicious consumption.
I can remember neither the name nor the author of the book, but maybe 10 years ago, a cartoonist published a book about a cat who learned to talk and wanted a bar mitzvah. It took place in Morocco, I believe, and was really a very funny book. I don’t know how to go about locating it, but it was worth a smile and a belly laugh!
@Judith Nussbaum
It is not a mitzvah that any nation support Israel. Stop your America worship and worship G-d only. We should support Israel as best we can; to require another country to do so brings the rest of the world’s hate on us. Your comment is as absurd as the act of the bark mitzvah.
some people have nothing better to do with their money. Rather than a “bark mitzvah” donate those funds to a worthwile charity. It all boils down to that there is no accounting for taste.
First of all, there never used to be such a thing as a Bat Mitzvah. Second of all, what is this learning scripture of which you speak? The kids MEMORIZE lots of stuff, and not much else, it seems. js