August is National Dog Month, and honestly, we couldn’t think of a better excuse to celebrate the four-legged members of our JCC extended family.
If you’ve ever walked into a space and immediately felt your whole mood lift, there’s a decent chance a dog was involved.
At the JCC Denver, we’ve been thinking a lot about dogs lately (occupational hazard, it turns out, when so many of your staff are devoted dog parents). And the more we talked about it, the more we realized: beyond enriching our personal lives, dogs reflect something deeply important about who we are and what we value.
A Little Torah. A Little Tail-Wagging.
The Hebrew word for dog is kelev (כֶּלֶב). Some Jewish teachers playfully note that it can be read as k’lev, “like the heart”, pointing to the loyalty and devotion dogs are known for. While that’s not the literal etymology, it’s a teaching that has stuck around for good reason. Anyone who has been greeted at the door after a hard day knows exactly what it means.
Jewish tradition has long emphasized kindness to animals. The principle of Tza’ar Ba’alei Chayim—avoiding unnecessary suffering to animals—reflects a broader ethic of compassion and responsibility. And there’s a beautiful teaching drawn from Deuteronomy: feed your animals before you sit down to eat. Care first for those who depend on you. It’s a small act, but it says something large about the kind of people we’re called to be.
Four Legs, Full Hearts
Every summer, Ranch Camp allows some of its supervisory staff who do not sleep in cabins with campers to bring their dogs along, and the impact is felt from day one. For kids making the transition from home to camp, a dog can be the softest, furriest bridge imaginable. They comfort kids who are homesick, play until everyone’s happily exhausted, and bring a warmth to camp that’s hard to manufacture any other way. As our Ranch Camp team puts it: our fuzzy friends are very much part of the family. In some cases, when campers miss home, a four-legged, furry hug helps them adjust a little easier to life at camp and nights away from home. And, for others, just having a couple dogs at camp (in addition to the horses and goats) just brings a special a warmth to camp that’s hard to manufacture any other way.
The same is true closer to home—or in this case, closer to the fitness center. River’s owner, Jonathan, is a regular in our fitness center and as such, she has become something of an unofficial JCC mascot. Jonathan will tell you himself: River, an approved service dog, is the reason he stays healthy. She gets him up, gets him moving, and keeps him coming back. That’s not just devotion. That’s a wellness plan with fur.
The Dogs (and Cats) of the JCC
We asked our staff to tell us how their pets at home live out the JCC’s values and what job they would have if they worked at the JCC. Their answers did not disappoint. From Copper the dachshund (Head of Security and Snuggles) to Shadow the eternal smoocher (Kissing Supervisor)—our staff pets are, it turns out, deeply aligned with our mission.
(Scroll through our gallery to meet them all — we promise it’ll make your day.)
At the end of the day, dogs pull us back to what matters. They build community. They keep us moving. They love unconditionally, greet generously, and remind us to be present. K’lev. Like the heart.
We’re lucky to have so many of them around here.
