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Continued from Page 7
Several years before, Judy Horowitz held a Bark Mitzvah
celebration for her grandson’s cavachon, Lizzie.

It was her grandson’s idea, Horowitz said. Th e grandson, Sam
Horowitz, lives in North Carolina with his parents and attends
Jordan Lake School of the Arts, a school geared for students with
special needs. Aft er having his own Bar Mitzvah in May of 2015 at
Main Line Reform Temple — where Horowitz is a member — he
wanted to have one for Lizzie, too.

Sam Horowitz is on the autism spectrum, and attended Sunday
school for years through Matan, which helps Jewish communities
make accommodations for children with special needs.

“It was very meaningful for him, that he went through all of
that and became a Bar Mitzvah and became a man,” said Dan
Horowitz, Sam’s father. “Th e way he was thinking about it was that
we had had Lizzie as a puppy for a while and felt very strongly that
she was a Jewish dog and that she should have a Bark Mitzvah.”
Sam wanted all the family — and the family pets — to attend.

Th e family had never heard of a Bark Mitzvah before. Th ey
thought it was a concept Sam had invented.

“He wanted Lizzie to have the same kind of experience that he
had,” Dan Horowitz said. “Religion can sometimes be an abstract
concept for a typical kid, but for someone on the autism spectrum,
it’s a lot to work through. Going to Sunday school for all those years
helped him, but he was exploring, ‘If I’m Jewish, who else is Jewish?’”
A year aft er Sam Horowitz’s Bar Mitzvah, around Th anksgiving
of 2016, the family gathered at Dan Horowitz’s aunt’s house, where
her dogs could attend as well.

Lizzie wore a kippah and an Eagles scarf instead of a tallit
around her shoulders, Sam led a few blessings, and Judy Horowitz
shared a few words and created a program for the Bark Mitzvah.

“Lizzie, may you be blessed in the name of God who created
you and may you and Sam and Teresa enjoy your wonderful life
together,” the program read. “Take care of each other. Amen.”
It was a happy familiar aff air, Judy Horowitz said, a chance for
the relatives to come together. Most importantly, she said, Sam
was happy with how it turned out.

Back in North Carolina, he even put on another Bark Mitzvah
for someone else’s dog.

“It was meaningful for my son,” Dan Horowitz said. “Th at’s why
everybody was excited about it.”
“I don’t think it was super meaningful to the dog,” he added. ❤
szighelboim@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0729
8 MARCH 21, 2019
SIMCHAS JEWISHEXPONENT.COM