Bark Mitzvah, Muzzle Tov!
Drudge linked to a story about a guy spending 10K on a Bark Mitzvah for his dog Elvis. You can watch the clip here. Extended footage here. The dog gives a speech and even reads the Arf-Torah, while a fellow congregant dabs a tear.
(For those paying attention, the prayer book page that Elvis has open is NOT the page with the blessings on the Haftorah. Which obviously means that Elvis knows the blessing by heart!)
Please note that this was not my idea. The Bark Mitzvah video ends with the disclaimer: No animals were hurt in the making of this Bark Mitzvah.
While a Bar Mitzvah for a dog may seem like a new trend, it’s not. In 2005, Keith Olbermann featured another couple from Florida that made a Bark Mitzvah for their dog. When asked how they knew their dog was Jewish, the man replied that they figured it out because “the dog loves brisket and Matzah Ball Soup”. Credit to Keith on “Muzzle Tov”.
If you are wondering how to make a Bark Mitzvah, ehow.com has the directions.
Three things I’d like to state on the matter:
1) for my parents, if they read this blog, I repeat: the Bark Mitzvah thing was NOT my idea.
2) I am waiting for the other shoe to drop and non-Jewish dogs start celebrating a faux bark mitzvah.
3) There are some Jewish people worried that this tradition will cause Antisemitism amongst the canine community because other dogs will be jealous that Jewish dogs are rich and have fancy parties.
P.S. There are Dog Kippahs as well.
