Welcome to my web site

Thank you for visiting my web site. Here you will find a wealth of information about the Brit Milah (or Bris) ceremony for boys, and the Baby Naming (Simchat Bat or Zeved Habat) ceremony for girls. Much of this information is repeated in different ways throughout the web site. I hope it will give you a good sense about my philosophy and approach to these beautiful rituals.

• Dear Parents (to be) [Read Me First]
  Update: Pain Relief for Your Infant Before the Bris
• Frequently Asked Questions [full list]
  Why do we perform the Brit Milah ceremony on the Eighth Day?
  How do I calculate when the eighth day is?
  Can a bris take place at night?
  Can a bris take place on Shabbat?
  How do I locate a Mohel?
  Do I need to have a Minyan present at the Bris?
  Do I have to appoint godparents?
  Do I need a challah for the Bris?
  Must I have a big party?
  Do you have to be rabbi to be a Mohel?
  How did you become a Mohel?
  Why should I use a Mohel instead of a doctor?
  How much pain does the baby feel?
  Is there any anesthetic that can be used?
  What do you do with the foreskin?
  Does jaundice prevent a bris from taking place?
  What if the baby is born prematurely?
  Who gets the honors at the Brit Milah ceremony?
  How do I explain to my three-year-old what a Brit Milah ceremony is?
  What if you are not available when I call you to do my child's bris?
  What are the scheduling rules for a Baby Naming?
  Does insurance cover a Brit Milah?
  If a Jewish child was circumcised in a hospital, does he still need a bris?
  What is a Pidyon Haben?
  If my son didn't have a bris, is he still considered Jewish and can he still have a Bar Mitzvah?
  The Metzitzah B'peh Controversy — My position
  What do I do now?
• Naming Guide
• Registration Form [Information I need from you before the Bris]
• Press Clippings
• Testimonials
• Biography
• Additional Topics
• Supply List
• Bris Instructions
• Honors
• Post-Bris Care
• It's a boy...
• It's a girl...
• Adoptions and Conversions
• Interfaith Families [I am Jewish, but my wife is not...]
• Alternative and Non-Traditional Families
• Single Parents, IVF, Multiple Births and Surrogacy
• Non-Jewish Families [If you'd like the gentlest circumcision for your son]
• What I Need to Know When You Page Me
• Cantor Sherman's List of Helpful Suggestions
• Explanation and Order of Ceremony