Make a date with a beautiful Jewish dog.
The first Pawsitively Jewish calendar features famous Instagram pups hailing from Israel and Canada celebrating Jewish pride, and dog lovers can pick up a copy in time for the high holidays.
Choosing the pups was a difficult task for calendar co-creator Rabbi Robyn Frisch, who runs the Mazel Pups social media group.
“I don’t even know these dogs, but it’s like choosing between my children,” she said.
Upper East Side beauty Shayna Maydele, a 5-year-old Coton de Tulear whose name means “beautiful girl” in Yiddish, brings charm to January, posing with challah and wearing a yarmulke while celebrating Shabbat.
Shayna, who has more than 21,000 Instagram followers, was named “probably the most Jewish dog in New York” and has become somewhat of a celebrity in the Big Apple, with fans clamoring for selfies with the fur ball.
“Just walking down the street, people will stop me and ask if that’s her,” said Shayna’s owner, Heidi Silverstone. “This guy we met a few weeks ago, he starts going on and on, ‘Oh my God, my family loves him.’ Can I take a picture with him?’”
Finley, a 2-year-old tricolor Papillon who lives in Turtle Bay, is July’s Covered Dog, wearing a blue headband emblazoned with a Star of David.
“That picture was taken in front of a little brownstone that Finley likes to step on, on East 51st Street,” said his owner, Elizabeth Weinstein. The fashion fur baby has just walked his first runway at New York Fashion Week.
Frisch, who lives in Philadelphia, collaborated on the project with Abbe Lunger of the stationary company PrintArtKids, who approached her after the Hamas terror attacks, wanting to help the people of Israel.
The calendars — which sell for $26.95 with a portion of the proceeds donated to the Israel Guide Dog Center — highlight Jewish and Israeli holidays and explain what each celebrates.
Both Shayna and Finley are already preparing for Rosh Hashanah, which begins in October. 2, planning content for their Instagram handles.
“Finley can teach people how to open a pomegranate,” Weinstein said.
“You’re supposed to celebrate by eating new fruit, partly because it’s the new year and also harvest time. And the fun thing about pomegranates is that they mythically contain 613 seeds, that’s one for every mitzvah in the Torah.”
Shayna will bake a batch of fresh challah with her mom.
“I’m going to include raisins since they’re sweet,” Silverstone said. “And we wish you a sweet new year.”
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Image Source : nypost.com