Brit mila

'It's our right to live freely as Jews': Belgian Jewish leader on circumcision bans - interview

The conversation came amid rumours that Belgium may look to ban circumcision, which reignited after a public argument between the US ambassador to Belgium, Bill White, and Deputy PM Maxime Prévot.

|ByMATHILDA HELLER
A Belgian national flag flies over the Royal Palace
A Spanish flag flutters in the air as the capital of Spain is seen from the observatory deck of Madrid's city hall August 7, 2013.

I traveled from Israel to Spain to convert new Jews. A single ‘Sababa’ made me feel safer - opinion

No matter how unjustly countries treat Israel and their local Jewish populations, we traveling mohalim must make the journey to ensure our most sacred tradition continues, even on the hardest days.

|ByRABBI HAYIM LEITER/JTA
THE WRITER, second from left, performs a circumcision in the presence of four generations, great-grandfather to newborn. Just as much as the Jewish people have continuously kept the commandment of circumcision, the practice has preserved our identity, he asserts.

Haaretz’s claims on brit milah: Separating fact from misconception - opinion

That this family continues to have a strong connection to our nation, history, and customs speaks to how brit milah – unchanged itself across millennia – continues to preserve the Jewish people.

|ByHAYIM LEITER
Author Gary Shteyngart holds a cucumber in the short documentary "The Man Who Got Cut Wrong."

Gary Shteyngart reflects on his botched bris in a new short film

Told with humor, sensitivity, and pain, the 20-minute film — shot almost entirely in black and white — is directed by Dana Ben-Ari.

|ByJACKIE HAJDENBERG/JTA

A brit milah for two: Welcoming life, honoring the fallen - opinion

VALERY WAS more than just a comrade. He was brave. A rock in times of chaos. A man of quiet courage and deep conviction. Bobby often spoke of how Valery made him a better soldier and a better man.

MAY 31, 2025ByJONATHAN LIEBERMAN
AVIGAYIL, THE WIDOW, holds the baby at the brit.

A mohel in Nairobi: Discovering Jewish life in the heart of Africa - opinion

A mohel’s journey to Nairobi reveals a thriving yet fragile Jewish community, deep ties to Israel, and the challenge of sustaining Jewish life in Kenya.

FEBRUARY 24, 2025ByHAYIM LEITER
THE WRITER conducts the circumcision as the head of the community, standing and wearing a prayer shawl, reads from the text and names the baby. ‘What I discovered is that Kenyans love Israel,’ he says.

Ukrainian Jewish man takes name Kfir Ariel in honor of Bibas brothers

The Ukrainian Jewish man took the name Kfir Ariel to honor the two child hostages murdered in Gaza captivity.

FEBRUARY 21, 2025ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Pictures of Shiri Bibas and her children Kfir and Ariel, in Jerusalem, February 20, 2025

Brit milah for nephew of fallen soldier held at Valor Forum Knesset encampment

The baby, named Eitan Israel, is the nephew of Staff-Sergeant-Major (res.) Gilad Elmaliach, age 30, was killed in southern Lebanon on October 26.

NOVEMBER 12, 2024ByRAQUEL GUERTZENSTEIN FROHLICH
A brit milah performed for the nephew of fallen soldier Staff-Sergeant-Major (res.) Gilad Elmaliach, November 12, 2024.

I realized the depth of my Israeli trauma after rocket exploded while circumcising a baby - opinion

My emotional tank is at an all-time low. The day marked a year of persistent stress that isn’t over. We’ve had no distance from the tragedy that we’re all still living through.

OCTOBER 16, 2024ByRABBI HAYIM LEITER/JTA
Rabbi Hayim Leiter performs a bris ceremony in Har Gilo, West Bank, on October 7, 2024.

The arrest of a mohel in Ireland has shaken me to my core - opinion

This is the first time a rabbi has been arrested for performing circumcision since the time of the Nazis.

AUGUST 14, 2024ByRABBI HAYIM LEITER/JTA
A mohel performs a circumcision ceremony in Israel, July 6, 2023.

Looking back on Orthodox Jewish cantor and actor Phil Sherman - opinion

My connection with Phil began as my career as a mohel was just getting started. My in-laws knew him and thought I might be interested in shadowing him for a day.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2023ByHAYIM LEITER
PHIL SHERMAN effortlessly flowed from giving a sermon about the meaning and history of our sacred rite of brit milah to telling a joke, to add a touch of levity and ease the minds of nervous onlookers.

Circumcision is a human right and a continuation of legacy - opinion

Contrary to viewing it as an infringement on a child’s human rights, circumcision can be seen as a human right itself, especially within specific cultural contexts.

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023ByJONATHAN LIEBERMAN
THE WRITER conducts a circumcision on a twin grandson a few weeks ago.

Circumcision: The history, health benefits, pros and cons - explainer

Circumcision is one of the oldest surgical procedures in the world and holds an important place in Judaism as the brit mila. Here's everything you should know.

SEPTEMBER 7, 2022ByAARON REICH
A man prepares the items needed for a circumcision.

Israeli baby requires complex surgery after circumcision gone wrong

The baby required long and complex surgery performed by three surgeons to treat the circumcision damage, but it is unclear if it was successful.

SEPTEMBER 6, 2022ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
A ‘MOHEL’ holds a scalpel as he performs a circumcision