Timothy

  Nicole

  Samantha

  Stephanie

  Victor

  Grand/Godparents

New! Brit Photo Album - The guests at Tim's big event.

Since Vic and Steph thought Timothy was going to be a girl, they were totally unprepared for the circumcision. With a lot of help from friends, Timothy was circumcised on the 8th day after birth, the 11th of April.

The brit mila (ritual circumcision) is always held during the eighth day after the child is born, even if the eighth day occurs on Shabbat or a holiday. A baby born on Monday morning or afternoon will have his Brit on the next Monday. But a baby born on Monday night will have his Brit on the following Tuesday since, according to the Hebrew calendar, a new day begins after sundown.

Judaism views circumcision as a religious ceremony, rather than just as surgery. Thus, it is recommended that a Mohel perform the circumcision. A Mohel is a Jew who has been trained in the physical procedures of circumcision and understands the religious significance of the ritual. If a Mohel is not available, then a Jewish physician can perform the circumcision. It is customary to invite a rabbi to conduct the service. Timothy's Mohel was Dr. Chachkes Menachem.

Honored Roles

It is considered an honor to be given a special role in the circumcision ceremony.

Sandak, Admiral Yezechial Meshita, holds the baby on his lap while the baby is circumcised.

Mohel is the ritual circumciser who has been trained in the physical procedures of circumcision and who understands the religious significance of the circumcision.

Kvatterin, Ruti Sassower, the "godmother".

Kvatter, Mr. Gadi Sassower, the "godfather".

...and of course "Special Godfather". LTC Warren Gundermann

Mohel calls "Kvatter"

.The service began when the Mohel called out for "Aba" (father) who held the baby for the initial explanations. The father then gave the baby to the Sandak for the circumcision. During this time, the Mohel recognizes the "Kvatter." With Timothy in the room in which he would be circumcised., everybody stood and said "Baruch HaBa" (May he who cometh be blessed). The Mohel recited a prayer which mentioned the covenant with Abraham.

Elijah's Chair

The Sandak sits on a special chair called Keesay shel Eliahu (Chair of Elijah). Elijah is considered the guardian of the child at the circumcision, and thus there is a special chair in his honor.  The Mohel then says, "This chair is devoted to Elijah the prophet, may his remembrance be for the good."

Prayers and the Circumcision

The Mohel recites the blessing "Praised by Thou, O Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who hast sanctified us with Thy commandments, and commanded us concerning the rite of circumcision."

The circumcision is then performed. (Ouch!) Actually, this went very well for Timothy with little to now crying as he had already consumed some small parts of wine. The cotton ball in Tim's mouth above contains some sweet wine, to help him endure the pain. Although he might not remember this night, his mom and dad sure will!

The Mohel then recited the blessing, "Praised by Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us by Thy commandments, and hast bidden us to make him enter into the covenant of Abraham our father."

Those present respond, "As he has entered into the covenant, so may he be introduced to the study of Torah, to the wedding canopy, and to good deeds."

Naming

The wine was blessed, and a little wine was put on the mouth, again, of Timothy. A prayer for the well-being of the child and family was recited.

Timothy was given his Hebrew name in this prayer:

Creator of the universe. May it be Thy gracious will to regard and accept this (performance of circumcision), as if I had brought this baby before Thy glorious throne. And Thou, in Thy abundant mercy, through Thy holy angels, give a pure and holy heart to Eliahu, the son of Victor and Stephanie, who was just now circumcised in honor of Thy great Name. May his heart be wide open to comprehend Thy holy Law, that he may learn and teach, keep and fulfill Thy laws.

Seudat Mitzvah (Festive Meal)

The ceremony was followed by a Seudat Mitzvah. This was held at the Hertzliya Country Club and we had about 80 guests.. Grace after the meal included special prayers for the welfare of the child, parents, and Mohel.

Circumcision hinders cervical cancer, study finds

Denise Grady, New York Times

Thursday, April 11, 2002

Circumcising men may significantly reduce the rate of cervical cancer in women by decreasing the spread of a sexually transmitted virus that causes nearly all cases of the cancer, researchers are reporting.

A study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine provides important scientific evidence for a link that scientists have long suspected.

The new findings are based on 1,913 couples in five countries, including 977 couples in which the woman had cervical cancer and 936 couples without cancer. Researchers found that circumcision made a difference if the man had had six or more sex partners. The frequency at that level made him more likely to have contracted the cancer-causing human papilloma virus, or HPV. In those couples, the risk of cervical cancer was more than double if the man was not circumcised.

The researchers say uncircumcised men may be more likely than others to contract HPV because the lining of the foreskin is especially vulnerable to the virus. Their study, which used DNA testing to look for penile HPV infection in the men, found that uncircumcised men were about three times as likely as circumcised men to be infected.

The researchers, led by Dr. Xavier Castellsague of the Llobregat Hospital in Barcelona, used data from seven studies in Brazil, Spain, Thailand, Colombia and the Philippines.

HPV is common, and 20 million Americans are thought to be infected. Not all strains of the virus can cause cervical cancer, and even when women contract a strain that does, most eliminate the virus from their bodies without developing cancer. Some doctors recommend condoms to prevent HPV, but others say they may not work as well for this virus as they do for other infections.

In the United States, there are about 13,000 cases of cervical cancer a year and 4,100 deaths. Doctors often say it is a disease that no woman should die of. It is easily cured if detected early by a Pap test, and the death rate in North America has declined in the past decade.

Worldwide, there are about 466,000 cases of cervical cancer a year. Each year, 231,000 women die of the disease, mostly in developing countries, and in some of those countries the death rate is not declining.

An editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine noted that worldwide, 25 percent of all men were circumcised. It also said that in the United States in the 1970s about 80 percent of all newborn boys were circumcised, but the rate had dropped since then because medical groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics said the procedure did not have enough benefits to recommend its routine use.