Dear Parents:
Congratulations on the Birth of Your Son!
The Brit Milah (bris, or ritual circumcision) ceremony is one of the oldest in Judaism. It is commanded in the Bible for all Jewish boys on the eighth day of life (health permitting). It has been performed by Jews throughout the ages and is considered so important that it overrides other precepts and is even performed on Shabbat and Yom Kippur. It represents a physical bond between all male Jews and the Jewish people. It also is the time when a male child officially receives his Jewish name.
The circumcision procedure itself--as part of the Brit Milah religious ceremony--is brief and virtually painless. I use what is called a "ring block" of Novocaine around the base of the baby's penis which temporarily numbs the foreskin which is to be excised. Most babies do not cry during the circumcision itself being too busy discovering their first taste of sweet wine!
The ceremony itself takes about 20 minutes and includes traditional prayers, participation by family and friends in holding the baby, and the official announcement of the baby's Hebrew name.
I am a board certified obstetrician-gynecologist who has been in practice in Newton, Massachusetts, for over 40 years. During that time I have performed over 4,000 circumcisions. It would be a pleasure for me to help you participate in this most revered and ancient of Jewish rituals.
If you are looking for a mohel in the Boston area, please feel free to contact me any time at 617-894-1397 or hmlerner@henrylerner.com
Mazel Tov!P.S. If you would like more information on what to expect during a bris ceremony or the historical/religious significance of a brit milah, please check out my book, So You Want to Make a Bris on Amazon, or visit my informational bris website.