Page 36 - Jewish News_April 2020
P. 36
36A April 2020 COMMENTARY
Mr. Friendly
By Rabbi Jonathan R. Katz, Community Chaplain By Harold M. Halpern
hen our family looked for
Lakehouse West t
Lakehouse Wes Wety shortly after coming to ings before we put some challah in his
WINNER!
WINNER!
a dog at the Humane Soci-
4 Years in a Row
4 Years in a Row
bowl.
Because he exhibited an abun-
E S T A T E E
R E T IR E M E N T T
R E T IR E M E N E S T A T Sarasota 12 years ago, one in particu- dance of menschlichkeit, Oscar, aka
lar drew our attention – a sweet-faced, Mr. Friendly, made for a terrible watch-
mostly beagle dog. When strangers showed up, he
mix named Ros- immediately greeted them with a rap-
co. The terse de- idly wagging tail and licks. He mostly
scription on his snoozed on the couch when various
enclosure read: workmen were around.
“Good with chil- Oscar greeted me warmly after
dren. An escape work no matter what kind of day I’d
artist.” Though had. His unconditional devotion and
2017 Rabbi Jonathan R. Katz I thought these nificant amount of time in front of the
Lakehouse West Readers’ Choice not a lot to go on, affection meant a lot. I spend a sig-
Best Retirement Community & attributes implied a nice nature and computer. He would always lay close
Best Assisted Living smarts. beside me even though there were more
We were hesitant to adopt him comfortable places for him to hang out.
(941) 923-7525 since this was our first dog search out- In an increasingly anxious, cyni-
3435 Fox Run Road | Sarasota, FL 34231
www.lakehousewest.com ing and because of the impression that cal and distrustful world, dogs (and
beagles bark and howl a lot. However, other animals) provide a steady-
Assisted Living Facility License #5850
on our way out the door, a staff mem- ing presence. The Hebrew word for
ber shared that a dog like Rosco would dog, kelev, is apropos since it essential-
not be around long and that he would ly means “wholehearted.” In remaining
be scooped up in a day or two. A few true to themselves, they help take the
minutes later, we headed home with edge off for the rest of us. Their joy, cu-
our new member of the family in tow. riosity and idiosyncrasies contribute to
We changed his name to Oscar as a family’s formative bonds. As a source
that sounded a bit more Jewish. As ad- of healing, I can readily understand
vertised, he loved kids. On why support dogs
walks, they sought him out have taken on such
to hug and pet. Wonder- importance. JFCS of
fully tempered, Oscar nev- the Suncoast is just
er expressed annoyance one of many organiza-
when a toddler might pull tions that use support
too hard on his tail or acci- dogs to help its clients.
dentally tumble into him. Dogs also in-
Also, as billed, Os- spire. I am fond of a
car had a taste for ad- quote by novelist and
venture. He’d seize the animal-lover J.W. Ste-
moment to take off if a phens: “Be the person
door to the house, garage your dog thinks you
or yard had been left open. Oscar, z”l are!” So too, the sim-
Early on we got a call from a fitness ple pleasures they treasure like going
center two miles away informing us for a walk, chasing a ball or chewing
that our plucky pooch had walked in- on a bone underscore the Talmudic dic-
side and was schmoozing with staff tum to be “happy in one’s portion.”
and patrons. There were plenty of Oscar eventually realized just how
other occasions (my daughter stopped good he had it and no longer showed
counting at 20) when people phoned interest in running away. But after al-
to say they had him in custody. When most 10 years with us, his health began
we’d arrive for pick-up, he didn’t act to decline precipitously a few months
surprised but conveyed a blasé attitude ago. He had trouble jumping up on the
of “What took you so long? I figured couch and tended to sleep more and
you’d be here a long time ago.” more during the day. When one of his
Oscar hardly barked and only legs started to give out, we took him to
howled when dreaming in his sleep, the vet.
This year we ask something we found both entertain- killers and steroids initially seemed to
A regimen of CBD chews, pain
ing and endearing. Cutely costumed,
that you add a he reveled in the attention he received help but soon he could hardly walk at
during neighborhood Halloween pa-
all. With his quality of life sharply de-
teriorated, we knew we were at the end.
rades.
5th question. wore a matzah bib on Passover and ful. Oscar had performed his earthly
Though sad, I am also very grate-
Proud of his Jewish identity, he
was thrilled to run around the house role beautifully. He gave us many great
with the children looking for the afi ko- memories that we will always cherish.
men. While he never found it, I still Mr. Friendly left his mark in many pos-
When was my last rewarded his effort by sneaking him itive and healing ways. FUNERAL SERVICES
Rabbi Jonathan R. Katz serves as a
some pieces of brisket under the ta-
skin exam? ble. He stood with us when the Hanuk- Community Chaplain and Director of
JFCS’s Jewish Healing Program. His
kah candles were lit and appeared to be
mesmerized by their glow. On Shab-
position is underwritten by The Jewish
bat, he patiently listened to the bless- Federation of Sarasota-Manatee.
The Area’s ONLY Jewish Owned & Operated Funeral Home
ADULTS Specializing in local burial, out-of-state transfers,
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