The Hewlett-East Rockaway Jewish Centre invited community members and their four-legged friends to a special Blessing of the Animals ceremony on Oct. 16, bringing together faith, gratitude and a shared appreciation for animals.
The blessing was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on the centre's patio, with participants encouraged to bring their pets or even stuffed animals to receive a special blessing. The event coincided with Parashat Noah, the weekly Torah portion that tells the story of Noah's Ark and emphasizes humanity's responsibility to care for all living creatures.
Rabbi Michel Schlesinger explained that the ceremony offers an opportunity to reflect on the relationship between people and animals and the importance of treating them with compassion.
"Parashat Noah is the Torah's great animal story," Schlesinger said. "When God establishes the covenant after the flood, the Torah stresses it three times: the covenant is not only with Noah and his descendants, but 'with every living creature.'"
Schlesinger said the story serves as a reminder that caring for animals is an important responsibility, one that extends beyond religious teachings and into everyday life.
"Our pet blessing is a way of living that text — we gather with the creatures who share our homes and our lives, we thank God for the joy they bring us, and we recommit to what the parashah teaches: that to be human is to be a caretaker, and caretaking is sacred work," he said.
Beyond its religious significance, the ceremony was also intended to bring community members together for a lighthearted celebration of the animals that enrich their lives.
"And frankly, it's also joyful — you'll see dogs, cats, maybe a parrot, and a sanctuary full of smiling people," Schlesinger said. "That, too, is Torah."
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