When Josh and I discussed starting a family, we decided that we wanted to raise our children with some sort of religious/faith base foundation. However, this became more complicated since my religious foundation is Christianity and Josh's revolves more around spirituality and self-discovery eventhough he is a decendent of the Jewish faith. As you can see, we had several religions to choose from to have as our family's denomination. After several discussions, Josh and I agreed on the Jewish faith as our family's credo. So began my love affair with Judaism. I started researching all of the traditions and holidays. In fact, Josh and I often joke that I am more Jewish than he is since I have become more educated about all things Jewish.
Following the Jewish tradition, as soon as we found out our second child was a boy, we started planning Aiden's bris or also known as a brit milah. The bris is a celebration, an affirmation of one’s Jewish identity, and a way to be part of a 3500 year old tradition. It is a symbol that he is part of the chosen people of Israel. It is an indication of being part of the covenant that God made with God's people through circumcision. At the bris, the baby also is given a Hebrew name. Aiden's Hebrew name is Aden ben Yehoshua. The bris is performed on the eighth day from the baby's birth, taking into consideration that according to the Jewish calendar, the day begins at the sunset of the day before. Since Aiden was born on a Thursday before sunset, the bris was held on the following Thursday. About a month before Aiden's birth, we arranged for the the mohel who would perform the ceremony. Luckily, the mohel that we found was a new retired pediatrician who also believed in using novocaine.
We held the bris at our home surrounded by close family and friends. It was a beautiful ceremony and occasion. I had never attended a bris before and did not know what to expect. The ceremony celebrates children as they are blessings and we, as parents, are privileged to teach them and participate in their lives. We are responsible for teaching them to be caring and loving people, to be compassionate to others, and to grow up to accept their responsibilities. During the ceremony, several blessings are said and prayers are recited. My favorite was the prayer that Josh and I recited:
With all my heart, with all my soul, with all my might...
I pray for the continued health of Aiden and Madilyn.
I pray for them to be strong in mind and body,
To grow in a home filled with joy and love.
I pray for them to become one who greet the world
With compassion, courage, humility, humor and patience.
I pray for God to watch over our family.
I pray fro the ability to love and nurture our children.
To provide for them and to educate them,
To understand them and to allow them the freedom to grow.
Here is a brief description of the ceremony:
A couple (my parents) enters with the baby and the baby is placed on a chair designated as the Chair of Elijah. The baby is then placed upon the lap of the Sandek (Josh's grandfather) who holds the baby during the circumcision procedure. After the appropriate blessing is recited, the circumcision is performed by the mohel. Immediately following the Bris, another blessing is said over a cup of wine, and the baby receives his official Hebrew name, which he will proudly carry throughout his life. The ceremony ends with the resounding wish of “Mazel Tov!” followed by the serving of refreshments or a light meal.
It was a truly powerful and moving experience -- one that I remember always.
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