A mitzvah is a good deed

We just came back from Scottsdale AZ where we attended the double Bat Mitzvah of my cousin’s twin granddaughters. I must say they did a terrific job reciting their assigned prayers, Torah readings, and what-being a-Bat Mitzvah-means-to-me-speeches, and they were definitely deserving of the dinner and dance carnival party in their honor at the end of the day.

However, what impressed me the most was their dedication to good work with animals. One of the girls who has already declared that she wants to be a veterinarian, raises funds for poorly treated dogs on the island of Puerto Rico. Since her father comes from Puerto Rico she was able to witness this first hand while visiting family there.

She says, “I’m donating medicine to a fund for an organization called Island Dog. It’s a program in Puerto Rico for neglected or abandoned animals. They help them survive…I’m trying to help them so that dogs and cats and animals can stay alive.”

Stray dogs at Dead Dog Beach

Her sister wants to protect police dogs that get into harm’s way while doing their jobs. Her charity is Vest-A-Dog, an organization that raises money to protect these dogs.

A vested police dog

She says, “What I’m trying to do is raise money to buy bulletproof and knife-proof vests for police dogs…those run around $1,000.…They’re putting their lives on the line for us, so I think the least we can do is to make their jobs safer.”

I am so happy that these sisters are so thoughtful and caring. They are actually thinking of donating some of their Bat Mitzvah money to their causes. Well, part of my gifts to them is a donation as well.

The sisters are indeed doing a mitzvah – the Hebrew word for good deed.