In a Jewish family, when a boy turns 13 years old, he celebrates with a bar mitzvah ceremony. So, it only seems fair that those families’ dogs should experience a similar celebration. After all, many dogs don’t even reach 13, so it’s definitely a milestone worth commemorating.
A Florida family happily followed those traditions when their Labradoodle named Brody turned 13. They completed all the bar mitzvah traditions, only in a dog-friendly way. Best of all, Brody even became social media famous for his adorable party!
Celebrating Brody
For Brody’s “bark mitzvah,” siblings Raegan and Ethan Fink dressed him up in a blue and white yarmulke and tallis. Of course, the sweet pup looks just as charming as ever. The two siblings lifted Brody up on a chair while dancing to the song “Hava Nagila,” which is a tradition of human bar mitzvah celebrations.
Of course, what dog party would be complete without gifts? They presented the birthday boy with two tasty dog cookies. One cookie looked like the Star of David while the other was a bone that says, “Happy Birthday.” Additionally, his family gave him two adorable squeaky toys that look like bananas.
“We had always talked about doing it years ago, and then time crept up on us and my dog actually lived to be 13 so we knew we had to celebrate,” said Raegan. “For his bday gift we got him some toys from Target and he loved it.”
Brody’s bark mitzvah was everything he’d ever dreamed of. Bar mitzvahs celebrate a human’s entry into adulthood, but Brody has been an adult for years. Even so, it was a great way to celebrate yet another milestone in his life and an unforgettable birthday.
Bark Mitzvahs are on the Rise!
Raegan posted a video montage of Brody’s birthday on TikTok, where it quickly gained over 104,000 likes! After posting it, Raegan also revealed that she got the outfit on Amazon and the cookies at a local dog bakery. It looks like Brody has started a trend.
“My dog turned 13 today so ofc he had to celebrate his bark mitzvah,” Raegan wrote in the TikTok caption.
While Brody’s video quickly went viral on social media, it turns out that “bark mitzvahs” aren’t a new concept. The first known bar mitzvah for a dog occurred in 1958 when Max and Jane Salter from Beverly Hills, California hosted one for Windy, their black Cocker Spaniel. Several families have also joined in on this unique trend over the years. However, it’s more common for a dog to have a bark mitzvah at 13 months old instead of 13 years since that age is more accurate to the human version.
Regardless of the history, bark mitzvahs sure are adorable. Families celebrate many traditions based on their history and religion. So, there’s no reason why dogs can’t participate too.
Watch the Adorable Celebration Below:
@raeganfink my dog turned 13 today so ofc he had to celebrate his barkmitzvah #jewish #dogs #labradoodle #barmitzvah #doodledog
H/T: people.com
Featured Image: Screenshots, @raeganfink/TikTok
Toledo, United States.
