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A brit is a meaningful Jewish religious ceremony in which the medical procedure of circumcision is an important, but not the only, part. A brit takes your baby boy and bonds him to thousands of years of tradition in the presence of family and friends. Brit Milah is traditionally done on the baby’s eighth day of life. It can be done after the eighth day, but never before. A brit incorporates your baby boy into the covenant between God and the Jewish people. It is a symbol of God’s covenant with Abraham and with all of us. It is a pledge of faith and continuity.
Brit Milah, or Bris, is performed by the Mohel, or as in my case, the Mohelet (Female Mohel). The formal training of the Mohel is extensive and rigorous. It encompasses the surgical circumcision techniques as well as Jewish law and tradition. In the Orthodox community most Mohelim are Rabbis. Within the Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist Movement, doctors are trained to do the Mitzvah (מצוה) of Brit Milah. After twenty years as a surgeon, I trained to become a Certified Mohelet because of a deep sense of commitment to Judaism. I am also certified by the Board of Pain Management, giving me the unique opportunity to make the Bris as gentle and as pain-free as modern medicine can safely provide.
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