Our dog, Oreo Cookie,  came up in my facebook memories last week. It just doesn’t  seem possible that it has been nine years since since he went over the rainbow bridge. Perhaps it is because I feel him around me so much. And also because his legacy lives on, especially with the Shirat Shalom children who learned the power of their Divine Light that amazing day.  Of course, now those children are adults. 

I had already been having the children in help me with various situations before they helped Oreo Cookie. It was just a part of their  education that began in kindergarten, of learning to work with the radiance of the Shabbat Candles that connects us to the Divine Light within us all, of opening their hearts and sending Prayers and Healing Light to those in need. 

It wasn’t until  the  children began helping with the annual baby seal hunt each year that I witnessed  the power of their pure hearts  coming together in unity. Of course I didn’t give them the details of how the baby seals were killed for their pelts,  only that we had to protect them from the hunters, keep them safe with their mothers. Each week when we would meet, we  would erect barriers around the baby seals and see the hunters kept at sea.

 I would follow the news each day of the hunt. On Wednesdays when  the children would work with their Divine Light,  the hunters couldn’t reach the seals for various reasons.  I didn’t discuss it with anyone but Rabbi David who would also help with the seals.  Of course these days, more people understand the power of the Divine Light G-d has placed within each one of us. 

Then there was that amazing day in 2010 when the children helped Oreo Cookie.  Twelve years old at the time, we were preparing to say goodbye to Oreo after emergency surgery a week earlier. The children were my last hope. My sister, Miss Susan,  was staying home with Oreo while I was at school.

It was at 7:10 pm that the children sent him Healing  Light. At 7:20 pm, Oreo transformed into his usual self right before my sister’s eyes! He perked up his head, wagged his tail and ate and drank for the first time since his surgery!  He was quite excited to visit the children a few weeks later to to say thank you! 

Oreo Cookie went on to live for another five years,  always overjoyed when he would meet any of the children who helped him that amazing day! 

Read further how Oreo helped his students throughout the years:  A Master Teacher 

Shalom, Cantor Lee