For HELP Scheduling a Bris
To begin with, let’s get some information. Fill out the form and then click ‘submit’. This will make it easier to stay in touch and to schedule your Bris. Please note submitting this form does NOT schedule your Bris. You MUST speak with Michael.
What You Need
Dear Parents, Mazal Tov!
By now, your son’s Bris should now be scheduled for next week, on the eight day after birth.
If it isn’t scheduled, contact Michael immediately to schedule a time. Call (305)798-5088 between 7am-9pm PST, 10am-11pm EST.
If the baby is not yet born, be sure to contact Michael as soon as possible after the birth. Put Michael’s name on the list of people you will call when the baby arrives, right under the grandparents! as soon as possible after the baby is born This will help your getting the time you prefer on the 8th day.
If you call me the late afternoon or evening before a scheduled C-section or induction, I will be happy to PENCIL you in for a tentative time. I do not INK anything onto the schedule until the baby is born. Therefore, if you have called the day before, please call me again as soon as possible after the birth.
The List:
For the baby’s comfort, here is a list of the items you will need. Please have all these items prepared when I arrive (30-45 minutes before the scheduled time) so that we can begin on time. If the Bris is not at your home, please be sure you are there 45 minutes before the Bris.
A card table with a tablecloth or cover (it can be a bigger table, such as a dining room table, but no smaller than a card table.)
A Brown paper grocery bag (e.g., a Publix bag or regular size shopping bag) that I use for garbage disposal. You can use this bag to gather most of the following:
A box of 20-25 Johnson and Johnson 3×3 sterile gauze pads (J&J, CVS or Walgreen’s brand please!)
A tube of Povidine/Povidone ointment (not cream or liquid) It’s a brown color ointment. Currently, Walgreen’s and CVS both carry their own brand of Povidine-Iodine Ointment… that’s perfect! Unfortunately, not all branches carry it. If it is not available, either Neosporin or Bacitracin is fine.
A tube of Nupercainal ointment (not cream) Look for it in the hemorrhoid department. You can also use Dibucaine ointment which has the same active ingredient. CVS’s own (CVS Hemorrhoidal & Topical Analgesic Ointment) is excellent.
A tube of A&D ointment.
2 burping cloths or flat square/rectangular cloth diapers.
2 disposable diapers (with Velcro fasteners, preferable, but not essential).
1 cotton (not wool) receiving blanket (no tassels or frills)
A baby bottle with glucose water (you can mix a teaspoon of sugar in 3-4oz. of water) or Pedialyte, preferably non-colored.
A pacifier
Baby wipes
A bottle of red Kosher sweet grape wine (e.g., Manishewitz or Mogen David); Please do not get cherry or blackberry wine. If the Bris is during Passover, be sure the bottle says Kosher for Passover.
A Kiddush cup with a small plate underneath it
Candles and candle-stick holders. How many? 1 for each family member of your nuclear family, including the baby! i.e., 2 candles for the 2 parents PLUS one for each child in the family. e.g., 1st child? That means if this is your first child, you need a total 3 candles; 2nd child? That means a total of 4 candles). And, don’t forget to count the baby! The candle-stick holders needn’t match. Shabbat candles or fancier, if you like.
2 firm bedroom pillows (standard length, not king-size)
Also:
The baby should be wearing a loose gown or sack, nothing with buttons or legs.
The baby should be 90 minutes hungry, i.e., no feeding from 90 minutes before the scheduled Bris-time. You will be able to feed him immediately after. This is quite important. Please do your best to accommodate.
We will start on time (unlike most Jewish events!) so tell everyone to arrive 15-20 minutes before the scheduled time. If you have friends or family who are chronically late, tell them 30 minutes before. Remember: the baby is hungry, and we don’t want him to be uncomfortable.
Plan on the following honors (we’ll review them further on the phone): Sandak (the one who actually holds him during the surgery, usually one of the grandfathers); Seat of Elijah (who holds him during the processional part; usually the other Grandfather); Godmother(kvaterin) and Godfather (kvater)… you can have more than one of each, especially to keep peace in the family! The Grandmothers are, of course, also included in the ceremony, as are older siblings and any Great Grandparents. All of these people should be at the Bris location 30 minutes before the scheduled start of the Bris.
Plan on video and still pictures. Oh — turn down your air conditioner thermostat early to cool off the room.
Ask the Jewish men to bring a Kipah (yarmulke) with them. I’ll bring a special one for the baby!
Contact if you have any questions, please call me (305)798-5088. I will get back to you as quickly as possible. You can also ‘text’ me at my cell phone.
FAQ
How do you calculate the ‘eighth day’? You count the day on which he is born: if he’s born on Monday, the Bris is the following Monday. If he’s born on Monday after sundown, the Bris is the following Tuesday. That is, the day changes at sundown and not at midnight.
What if the baby is born on Shabbat or Jewish holiday? Jewish law states that, baby’s health permitting, we make every effort to do the Bris on the 8th day. You are allowed to do a Bris on Shabbat if the baby was born on Shabbat (unless it was a C-section). You are NOT allowed to get into a car and GO to a Bris on Shabbat… or cook… or smoke… or take pictures… or turn on lights.
Therefore, in Orthodox neighborhoods, when the Mohel is within walking distance of the Bris and Shabbat is observed according to Jewish law, we do the Bris on Shabbat. But it makes little sense to fulfill one mitzvah by violating another. When a Bris can’t be performed on Shabbat or holiday, we do it on the next available day or as soon as possible afterwards.
Do you need a minyan for a Bris? No. Doing the Bris on the eight day is a Torah ordained law and the minyan is rabbinic in origin. The Bris, therefore, is done on the eighth day with or without a minyan. If you have a quorum of 10 Jewish men, a different grace after meals can be said and Kaddish can be recited for someone in mourning.
How long does it (the surgery or the whole service) take? The surgery takes about 10-15 seconds. The service takes about 18-20 minutes. However, remember that the baby will be on his back, held still and be undressed for a few moments. He will likely cry for those non-surgical reasons alone.
Does it hurt the baby? Research shows that the technique a Mohel uses causes less distress that the technique used by most physicians. Distress is measured in change of heart rate, etc. Naturally, the difference for the baby of 10-12 seconds compared to 8-10 minutes with the Gomco or Plastibel clamps that physicians often use is going to make a big difference for the baby.
Do I use anesthesia? Yes, I personally use two topical sprays and an anesthetic ointment afterwards. There are babies that don’t cry at all. Most will cry but over 95% of them will stop crying as soon as they are diapered and picked up. In my opinion, most of the distress is caused by the position the baby is in… and must be in … for the surgery, and the slight pinch when I take hold of the skin to begin. When that is over quickly, the babies do fine.
Do I use EMLA? Recently in the news, EMLA cream is a topical anesthetic that needs to be applied about an hour before the circumcision. Aside from the problem that it can cause significant swelling of the tissue, it was not tested for use on newborns and therefore is not recommended for use on infants under one month of age. The following is a quote from the insert that comes with the EMLA cream: “Due to the potential risk of methemoglobinemia and the lack of proven efficacy, EMLA Cream is not recommended for use prior to circumcision in pediatric patients.”
Do I explain what is going on for those who don’t know much about it or who are not Jewish? Yes, I provide an ongoing explanation and commentary that most people find educational and enlightening. This is a simcha (a joyous occasion) and so it must be kept light but respectful of the oldest rite of our religion. I try to find that balance. A little medical, a little mystical, a few stories that deepen our understanding of a most remarkable ritual.
What do I need to get? The entire list of what you need is printed above under the heading Baby’s born? Instructions for Parents. You can copy it now and get a head start if you wish.
If I do the Bris in my house, what room should it be in? The largest room in the house is usually the best choice. Those that don’t want to be near the surgery … won’t! The fact is the way I set the table up, no one can see the surgery unless they make a particular effort to do so. But believe it or not, people are more relaxed when the surgery is not in another room, sequestered away. The ‘unknown’ is always more stressful that the ‘known’.
Should the surgery be in the same room as the service? Of the 18 minutes or so for the whole service, the surgery is about 2-3 minutes in the middle. We usher the baby in, do the surgery and then finish with the naming ceremony. It would add time and stress to all concerned to take him from the room for the 10-15 seconds of surgery. In all the years I’ve been doing this, I can tell you this: No parent who wanted to take him out of the room and then listened to me and did it in the main room EVER said afterwards: “I’m sorry I did”. Trust me. My job is to make the Bris as meaningful and as beautiful as possible for you.
How do I pick a Hebrew name for the baby? It’s a beautiful tradition to name a child after a relative (grandparent, great grandparent, close relative, even a dear friend.) The Ashkenazic Jews name after the deceased, the Sephardic after the living. The name should be chosen based on the person’s Hebrew name. If the relative was female, we choose a male name that is related either phonetically or by meaning. If the name was Yiddish or Ladino, it is common practice to alter the name slightly back to its original Hebrew (e.g., Yankel again becomes Yaakov). I will be glad to help you with this selection.
Will you teach us how to care for the baby? Of course. After the bris, I will meet with the parents and change the baby with them (and anyone else who will be helping out such as a nurse, grandparents, etc.) I will also go over written instructions with you. If those instructions should be misplaced, you will always have immediate access to me and to the instructions on line.
If you have any questions, please call me at (305) 654-9888 or on my cell at (305)798-5088 . I will get back to you as quickly as possible. You can also ‘text’ me at my cell phone.
Aftercare Instructions
Dear Parents,
It was a pleasure meeting you and serving as your Mohel. I hope that I carried out that responsibility to your joyful satisfaction. I have taken a moment to write out some of the procedures in after-care that you will need to follow.
How to change the dressing after the Bris
Take a 3X3 gauze pad, cut it in half, and put one inch of betadine and one inch of nupercainal on the center and smear them together.
Open the diaper and clean the baby’s tush as necessary (doing nothing on the penis for cleaning).
Put the clean diaper in place.
Jiggle the diagonal corners of the old gauze-square to remove it. That will prevent your pulling off the wrap-around bandage inadvertently.
Gently fold the new gauze-square over the penis and close the diaper.
Do this every time you change a dirty diaper until two days after tomorrow morning. After that, all care stops.
Remove the wrap-around bandage in the morning: one day after tomorrow. If it should fall off prior to that, don’t try to replace it. If you ‘jiggle’ the square first as you change it, that will help keep it on.
The only time you should have to clean the penis is if the baby gets fecal matter under the gauze pad and on the penis. If so, use plain water to wash it off (no wipes, no soap, no alcohol).
After all of the bandages have been removed, you may notice a yellow-green mucous film around the head of the penis. IGNORE IT. Don’t wipe it off or rub it off. And, don’t worry about it! It’s ‘harvesting’ new cells underneath it and his urine will dissolve it over the next few weeks.
Sponge-bathe the baby until the cord is healed and the yellow-green film has disappeared. After that, he’ll be ready for tub bathing.
Some minor oozing of blood is natural and nothing to be concerned about.
On the morning you stop using the gauze-squares (two days after tomorrow): Coat the penis with a little Vaseline, (or A&D or Neosporin, or Bacitracin) for a day or two to facilitate healing and to prevent a little spotting of blood the day after you stop the gauze pads because the penis is sticking to the diaper.
If you have any questions, please call me at (305) 654-9888 or at my cell (305)798-5088. You can also text message at the cell phone. If you ‘text’, enter your name, phone number and the number ’44’. That is my code for a baby already done… and is the ONLY way to reach me on a Shabbat or Jewish Yom Tov. I will get back to you as quickly as possible.
Estimados Padres:
Fue un placer haberlos conocidos y servirles de Mohel. Espero que cumpli con mi responsabilidades tal y como lo esperaban. He escrito unas instrucciones a seguir despues del procedimiento.
HASTA_______EN LA MANANA:
Con cada cambiada del panal tome una gaza del tamano 3×3, cortela por mitad y untela con aproximadamente una pulgada de “betadine” y una pulgada de “nupercainal” en el centro de la gaza y reveulva.
Abra el panal y limpie el “tushie” (sin hacerle nada al pene para limpiar)
Ponga el panal limpio en su lugar
Manipule las esquinas diagonals de la gaza vieja hasta que la remueva
Suavemente coloque la gaza nueva sobre el pene y cierre el panal
EL ________ DE LA MANANA (pasado manana)
Remueva el bandaje envuelto alrededor. Empieze a aflojar el bandaje de afuera y despues el de adentro, alternando las dos puntas hasta que se despegue completamente. No esta pegado ni amarado.
Si por alguna razon se cae antes, no trate de reemplazarlo. Si usted lo manipula esto lo mantendra en su lugar.
COMENZANDO EN _____________ MANANA, por DOS dias, (No mas gaza) Echarle al pene vaselina una o dos veces al dia vaselina o (A&D, Neosporin o Bacitracin)) para que no se pegue al panal. Esto va a hacer que se cicatrize mas rapido y prevenga la manchada de sangre ocasionalmente.
Despues de que se le hayan quitado todos los bandajes, puede ser que usted vea una mucosa de color Amarillo-verdosaen la punta del pene. IGNORELA – NO ESTA INFECTADO!!!No trate de quitarselo ni limpiarselo. Tampoco se preocupe! Esta produciendo cellulas nuevas debajo. La orian del bebe lo va a dissolver y tomara entre 3 dias y 3 semanas.
Bane al baby con esponja hasta que esta mucosa desaparezca y el cordon umbilical se caiga. Despues estara listo pra la banadera.
La unica vez que tendra que limpiar el pene es si le cae material fecal bajo la gaza o en el pene directamente. En ese caso limpielo con agua pura. No utilize wipes, alcohol o jabon.
Si tiene alguna pregunta, llame al (305) 654-9888 o al cellular (305)798-5088, y despues de que usted ponga su telefono, anada 44, y yo me comunicare con usted lo mas pronto possible.
Si puede asistirle o tiene alguna otra pregunta siempre puede llamarme.
Twins/Triplets
Instructions for Twins/Triplets
For the baby’s comfort, here is a list of the items you will need. Please have all these items prepared when I arrive (30-45 minutes before the scheduled time) so that we can begin on time. If the Bris is not at your home, please be sure you are there 45 minutes before the Bris.
All items below that are in BOLD/UNDERLINE are those items that you must DOUBLE (or triple for triplets).
If you have triplet boys, triple the BOLD/UNDERLINE items accordingly.)
* A card table with a tablecloth or cover
* A Brown paper grocery bag (e.g., a Publix bag, or large paper shopping bag). You can put most of the following in the bag:
* A box of 20-25 Johnson and Johnson 3×3 sterile pads (J&J please!)
* A tube of betadine (or Povidone or Povidine-Iodine) ointment (not cream or liquid) (brown color / not with moisturizer or pain reliever, please)
* A tube of nupercainal ointment (not cream) Look for it in the hemorrhoid department. CVS’s own (CVS Hemorrhoidal & Topical Analgesic Ointment) is excellent.
* A tube of A&D ointment
* 2 cloth diapers (flat, not form-fitted… burping cloths)
* 2 disposable diapers (with velcro fasteners, preferably)
* 1 cotton (not wool) receiving blanket (no tassels or frills)
* A baby bottle with 5% glucose water (or ‘pedialite’) …preferably non-colored
* A pacifier
* Baby Wipes
* A bottle of red Kosher sweet grape wine (e.g., Manishewitz or Mogen David); NOT cherry or berry wine.
* A Kiddush cup with a small plate underneath it
* Candles and candle-stick holders. How many? 1 for each “nuclear” family member including the new baby: i.e. 2 candles for the 2 parents PLUS one for each child in the family. e.g., 1st child? That means a total 3 candles; 2nd child? That means a total of 4 candles). The candle-stick holders needn’t match. Shabbat candles or fancier, if you like.
* 2 firm bedroom pillows (standard length, not king)
If you don’t feel like shopping around, here’s an easy solution. Just call 1-877-Bris Bag (274-7224) and tell them Michael Andron is your Mohel.
Be sure to tell them this is for twins so they double the items in BOLD/UNDERLINE.
They’ll package most of it and send it to you in plenty of time for the Bris. You will still need to have the card table with cover, the wine and kiddush cup, the candles, 2 firm bedroom pillows, and the brown paper bag!