Brit Milah

Brit Milah, or "covenant of circumcision", is performed on a Jewish male eight days after he is born. The procedure is performed by a mohel -- a person who has mastered the set of Jewish laws regarding circumcision and received extensive practical training. The mohel removes the baby's foreskin and draws blood from the reproductive organ, after which the baby is given a Jewish name.

Abraham, Judaism's founding father, was the first person in history to have a Brit Milah, doing so at the behest of the Almighty. Abraham vowed that he would teach his descendents to serve God with perfect devotion. In return, God promised to guarantee the survival of Abraham's progeny -- the family of Hebrews that became the nation of Israel that have since been known as the Jews.

Today, by performing the act circumcision, Jews perpetuate the covenant and make their children a part of that eternal promise.

The Ceremony

A typical Brit Milah ceremony starts with an honored guest (known as "kvatter") bringing in the baby to the calls of "baruch haba" - welcome. Another honored guest, the "sandak" (the Hebrew subtitled version of the Marlin Brando film, "Godfather", is called the "Sandak") holds the baby while the mohel performs the Brit Milah, after which another guest holds the baby as another guest recites a prayer for the baby's well being and gives him the name selected by the parents.

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