(New York Jewish Week) — In my many years as a journalist, I’ve interviewed some fairly highly effective, vital and, sure, even well-known folks. However by no means earlier than have I been so excited — starstruck, even — to fulfill a topic, and this one wasn’t even human. 

I used to be positively giddy to go to the Higher East Aspect residence final week of Shayna Maydele, a small, white canine who has captured the hearts of 1000’s of adoring followers on Instagram. Shayna Maydele’s recognition isn’t simply owing to her lovable punim — although her punim is 100% lovable, as as this dedicated fluffy-dog lover can attest. It’s additionally as a result of her Instagram is full of charming, genuine expressions of Jewish satisfaction, in addition to humorous takes on life in New York Metropolis. 

Leaving apart the large query of whether or not or not a canine will be Jewish (I say sure!) — or even when proudly owning a pet is a Jewish factor to do — each Friday, Shayna Maydele’s account includes a heartwarming “Shabbat shalom” message. The Shabbat photographs usually embrace do-it-yourself challah, different instances they could function her “Papa,” or her proprietor’s dad. I at all times set free a squeal of enjoyment after I see the posts, and I’m hardly alone: “I get up every a [sic] Friday and await such good posts,” wrote one commenter on a Shabbat publish earlier this month. “Shabbat Shalom, Shayna!”

“My Shabbat posts get probably the most likes out of every little thing,” Shayna Maydele’s proprietor, Heidi Silverstone, advised me. 

Since rising on social media in 2019, Shayna Maydele (whose title means “lovely lady” in Yiddish) has garnered practically 9,000 (and counting) followers from all around the world — lots of whom transcend merely “liking” or commenting on a publish. The Jewish Nationwide Fund, for instance, has, unbidden, planted a tree in her honor; she additionally performed an vital function within the engagement of 1 couple who occurred to fulfill her at a canine park. Shayna Maydele’s Shabbat messages have been shared by all kinds of high-profile social media accounts, together with People of Judaism, Jewish Memes Solely and a number of other of the New York Jewish Week’s accomplice websites, together with Hey Alma and The Nosher. Her followers embrace Grammy-winning Jewish musician Joanie Leeds and Jewish comic Hannah Einbender, the star of the HBO comedy “Hacks.”  

It’s a reasonably outstanding following contemplating Silverstone — who can also be Shayna Maydele’s social media supervisor, if you’ll — doesn’t have any social media accounts of her personal, nor did she got down to make her pup a star. It began in June 2019, when Silverstone and her husband, Rob, flew to Arizona to choose up their pet from the breeder. (Shayna is a coton de tulear, a breed made well-known by Barbra Streisand, who notoriously cloned her pup. The breeder later advised Silverstone she additionally offered Streisand her well-known canine. “I’m unsure in the event that they’re associated,” Silverstone stated of their mutual pets, “however I can fake they’re!”)

So many family and friends members had wished to see footage of the brand new pet, stated Silverstone, that she figured it will be simpler to arrange an Instagram account. “I didn’t make it non-public — I figured no person’s gonna know her,” she defined. “After which, swiftly, folks had been following.”

Shayna Maydele’s account started to actually take off when the Jewish content material began, which occurred organically. “It wasn’t a acutely aware factor — it was Shabbos and I put a yarmulke on her head and stated, ‘Shabbat Shalom,’ pondering I’m wishing my household and buddies a Shabbat shalom.” Followers took discover. “Individuals had been liking it a lot I assumed, ‘OK, we’ll do a Shabbat shalom publish each week.’” Different Jewish holidays quickly adopted. 

Heidi Silverstone poses together with her coton de tulear, Shayna Maydele, whom she bought in June 2019. (New York Jewish Week)

“The Jewish factor is simply regular — it’s part of our life,” stated Silverstone, who chatted with me in her kitchen as Shayna Maydele, sitting beneath the desk, interjected with an occasional woof.  

Silverstone and her partner are members of Park Avenue Synagogue; whereas they used to attend Shabbat companies frequently, as of late they’re extra prone to stream them. The parlor flooring of the household brownstone is full of Jewish artwork and Judaica (in addition to some cool New York Metropolis treasures, corresponding to coasters impressed by subway tokens). 

In a single nook of the the kitchen, the place Shayna Maydele’s pet food sat untouched, hangs a framed Passover bagels recipe, handwritten by Silverstone’s grandmother, in addition to a drawing her son Max made as a baby of the Torah and different Jewish ritual objects made from cheese. (Max is now 25 and a fourth-year cantorial scholar on the Jewish Theological Seminary.) Across the nook is a portray made by a Shayna Maydele fan, a fantastically rendered model of an Instagram publish that includes her holding a bath of Temp-Tee Whipped Cream Cheese.

A lifetime of shul-going implies that there are sufficient kippahs within the residence for Shayna Maydele to not often pose carrying the identical one twice — Silverstone estimates {that a} basket within the nook of the eating room incorporates some 200 skullcaps in a wide range of textures and colours. Silverstone makes an effort to coordinate Shayna Maydele’s kippah to different accouterments that could be within the weekly Shabbat picture; on the day of my go to, Silverstone selects an orange kippah to match a painted ceramic tzedakah field, one which Silverstone had beforehand gifted to her grandmother.

Help the New York Jewish Week

Our nonprofit newsroom depends upon readers such as you. Make a donation now to help unbiased Jewish journalism in New York.

When it’s time for the picture shoot, Silverstone’s “assistant” — that’s Silverstone’s husband, Rob, who’s vp of finance at media firm Dotdash Meredith — emerges from his upstairs workplace. I had been warned that canine, like infants, are notoriously tough picture topics, however on that December afternoon — with Shayna Maydele positioned atop a low desk subsequent to the tzedakah field, and with Rob deftly sticking his fingers in Shayna Maydele’s mouth to elicit a smile — the entire lovable factor is over in minutes. 

As of late, Silverstone sometimes posts three or 4 instances every week to Shanya Maydele’s account. Although she has no formal media background — a former dental hygienist, she now works as a workshop teacher for an au pair program — Silverstone stated she is coached by her son, Michael, 28, who, along with working at a tech firm, has his personal images enterprise.

Along with the Jewish content material, there’s different shtick. My favorites are the “new enterprise ventures” that function the coton posing beside or atop one thing somebody has discarded on the road. (In a single latest instance, Shayna Maydele is seen in entrance of a play kitchen. “Fantastic eating on the stunning streets of NYC,” the caption reads. “I’ll prepare dinner and serve scrumptious meals ready on this prime of the road toy kitchen. FREE canine hair in each chunk!”)

“We have now a lot trash on the road,” Silverstone stated. “What’s actually humorous is that folks in New York get it — they know what it’s. However I’ve followers from all around the world. So in all probability, after they come to town, they’re going to be in search of the streets paved in rubbish.”

However the Jewish posts appear to be the guts and soul of the account, and Silverstone stated she is moved by the constructive response she will get from Shayna Maydele’s followers, each Jewish and never. She makes a acutely aware effort to outline Jewish phrases and holidays so they’re accessible to everybody: On Simchat Torah in October, a photograph of Shanya Maydele posing with a stuffed Torah is accompanied by an evidence of the vacation. 

Although Silverstone jokes she spends “an excessive amount of time” on the account, it’s clear the household is getting simply as a lot pleasure out of the method as Shayna Maydele’s followers get from the outcomes. When she hears from followers who’re impressed to gentle candles or do one thing Jewish, “I really like that,” she stated. 

Contemplating the impetus of the account was merely to avoid wasting time, Silverstone appears overjoyed that Shayna Maydele’s account helps folks be taught extra about Judaism.

“I suppose my objective is simply to develop attain — and if her Jewish feedback may soften anybody’s opinion on Judaism or get one other ally, I believe that’s a reasonably good objective,” Silverstone stated when pressed on her hopes for the account. “However I definitely didn’t go into it that approach.”