Q. I am due to have a baby boy soon or I have had a baby boy, how much advance notice do I need to give you?

A. Ideally you should contact me within the first three days of baby being born. This will give me enough time to asses baby's progress to allow for him to be circumcised on the traditional eighth day.

Q. My son is older and has still not had a bris; can it still be done?

A. Yes, I practice Bris Milah for all ages, including babies, children and adults.

Q. My son was born on Shabbat. As the eighth day is Shabbat, can he still have a Bris on the Shabbat?

A. Yes he can but there are some conditions. A Bris must be performed on Shabbat if it is the eighth day, when baby was born by a natural delivery. If baby was born by Caesarean, then it must be postponed. There must be no transgression of the Shabbat day.

Q. My partner is not Jewish; can our boy still have his Bris done by you?

A. If baby's mother was born Jewish or had a recognised conversion to Judaism then the answer is yes.

Q. Where can we have the Bris ceremony?

A. At yours or your parents home or in a synagogue or at my practice, the choice is yours.

Q. We live outside London; will you still provide us with your service?

A. Yes, I will certainly try. I am also available to travel abroad when possible.

Q. We need help in choosing a Jewish name, can you help us in choosing one?

A. Yes, I am more than happy to give you guidance.

 

 

Q. Can you please explain the Circumcision Service that you offer?

A. It is a Circumcision service at my practice and also (depending on circumstances) home visits too. This is a service for all denominations, that may require circumcision for health, cultural or other reasons.

Q. What method do you practice? Do you use the Ring or Plasti bell and Cap method?

A. I use the most medically advanced traditional method (also known as the Jewish method). It is much the same as the original ancient method but the improvements mean that the circumcision is virtually bloodless and painless. I do not use the other methods as they are very high risk and also do not always deliver the most desirable out come.

Q. What is the best age to have our baby circumcised?

A. From eight days on, preferably within first six weeks but certainly before three months. Babies become more aware as they grow older; this means that the older they become the more disturbing it will be to them. Babies also accumulate fat in the groin area thus making the circumcision procedure more complicated.

Q. We would like you to administer an anaesthetic to numb pain; will you do this for us?

A. Yes, anaesthetic is part of the normal procedure and it is applied topically. It is a most effective aid.

Q. How long does the whole circumcision procedure take?

A. Around about three to five minutes in all, in more complicated cases it could take a few minutes longer. The actual circumcision itself takes under a minute.