Shortly after Rabbi Steve Gross raised his guitar and asked the audience to join him in singing, a chorus of enthusiastic howls filled Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism’s parking lot.
Dozens of dogs, large and small, wagged their tails and shook their tuchuses in time to the music, along with their human companions, at HCRJ’s seventh annual Bark Mitzvah on March 30.
The free community event featured pet vendors, food trucks, DJ Cory Baum and plenty of canines dressed in blue kippahs and tallit.
Midway through the celebration, Rabbi Gross led a special Bark Mitzvah ceremony. The party ended with humans and dogs dancing to “Hava Nagila.”
“In this time of stress and divisiveness in our country, nothing brings us together more beautifully than the love we have for our pets and the love we have with our neighbor as we share them together,” Rabbi Gross told the JHV.
“The Bark Mitzvah is really about bringing our community together through that love and through that fellowship.”
Many dogs were dressed in costumes, and “Bark Mitzvah” tallits and kippahs were available for purchase. Each dog was given a personalized “Bark Mitzvah” certificate and a goodie bag full of treats and pet vendor information.
Vendors included veterinarians, pet stores, groomers, trainers, doggie daycares and more. There were plenty of dog treats and human food to go around.
The Bark Mitzvah was coordinated by HCRJ Program and Engagement director Beth Fine-Nelson. As many as 125 dogs and people attended the event.
“Bark Mitzvah is such a unique program,” Fine-Nelson told the JHV. “It brings together a love of dogs and, at the same time, introduces the community to various vendors that sell items we didn’t even know existed for dog owners.
“It also highlights some of the wonderful nonprofit organizations that are doing amazing things to educate and help increase awareness on various topics.
“It’s just a fun event for dog lovers. Look for a different Bark Mitzvah next year in November with a holiday twist to include shopping for pets and humans, too.”
See all the photos in the JHV’s e-edition.
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