Now and Here w/ Rabbi Gadi Capela

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Looking At Dogs Through Personal Experience and The Lens of Judaism

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About The Episode

From a young age, Gadi always was drawn to dogs. He had them at home (even though his mom wanted to always keep the house clean), his friends had them, and he was just intrigued by them everywhere.

When he got older, he eventually found a home in New York City. After deciding to stay, he studied at Yeshiva University to understand more about the Jewish faith and religion (as well as Business Management). During that time, he would also come home to Suzy, his dog. They lived across from Central Park and would go there for hours to walk and play. She would help him through his long days at school and give him an escape where it was just them having a good time together, free from responsibilities and the daily grind.

Eventually, Suzy passed away. It was a tough loss and one that took time to fully come to terms with. After, Gadi held off on getting another dog for a while. In the meantime, worked for eight years a Business Analyst and Project Manager in the banking and consulting industries, while also completing a Master’s degree in Jewish Philosophy (also from Yeshiva University).

Then, one Thanksgiving around seven years later, he was having dinner at a friend’s family house. Just as they were talking about dogs and Gadi was asked when he might get another, the phone rang. It was the friend’s nephew, calling to say he couldn’t come to dinner because he just had a litter of three puppies. Gadi and his friend looked at each other, and they knew. They each brought home one of the puppies.

That dog, Tieg, was with Gadi as he moved to the country in Long Island to be a Rabbi at the Congregation Tifereth in Greenport on the North Fork. However, there was an unfortunate incident and suddenly Tieg was gone, too. It filled Gadi with pain, and he was once again mourning one of his dogs. A year later, his current dog Chaya came into his life and has been helping him heal ever since. Her name literally means “life” in Hebrew, so it’s very fitting.

Over time, Rabbi Gadi has understood more about why he’s so drawn to dogs and the connection they have to religion, spirituality, and life. Dogs represent the now and here, and they pull us into that and the moment. They teach us how to do that and constantly remind us. And to not only live in the moment, but appreciate the moment too. There are also more specific connections to Judaism, even down to the names. With the translation, dogs are essentially hearts on four legs. Sounds like a pretty accurate description.

About The Guest - Rabbi Gadi Capella

Rabbi Gadi Capela leads the Congregation Tifereth in Greenport on the North Fork of Long Island. He is also the President of the East End Jewish Community Council. In 2001, he graduated from Yeshiva University, where he studied Business Management as well as Jewish Studies. For eight years he worked as a business analyst and project manager in the banking and consulting industries, while also completing a Master’s degree in Jewish Philosophy, also from Yeshiva University. Throughout his life, he has had a strong connection to dogs – from always having them as a kid to having several since in his adult life. During his studies and life experience, he has also learned more about why dogs have such a strong connection to us as humans and also the specific ties to Judaism in particular.

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