The name might have seemed a little unusual. But otherwise, if you came across an invite to the Bar Mitzvah of a 13-year-old named Columbo Rudy in Aventura, Florida, you probably wouldn‘t have noticed anything strange.
The youngster wore a gold yamaka, donned a prayer shawl, got a lot of gifts, and the party-goers ate a lot of food.
I was just your average ceremony – except for the fact that Columbo Rudy is a dog.
Edie and Ed Rudy threw the coming of age celebration for their dog.
"The reason for it was that Columbo was adopted on Columbus Day and that‘s when we knew he turned 13. We decided to have a party and 13 would be, as a Jewish dog, a bar mitzvah," said Edie Rudy, who came up with the idea. "We couldn‘t do a bar mitzvah for a dog so we decided to do a Bark Mitzvah."
The official certificate was signed by Rabbi Rex Doberman of the Congregation Beth Poodle.
Ed Rudy said it was that difficult to figure out the religion of their furry friend. "Once we found out that he loved brisket and matzo ball soup we figured he must be Jewish."
Though some people were not amused by the affair. One rabbi was quoted in the Miami papers saying this is a desecration of a sacred event.
The Rudys said it was just a fun way to honor their dog. They received mostly positive comments about the affair.
The Humane Society certainly enjoyed the party. The Rudys requested those giving gifts to make a donation to the organization instead.
