[Eve12]

In three weeks' time I will be bringing my 20 month old son home from Siberia. He definitely needs a bris! Everybody I have talked to about the subject has an opinion and I have had recommendations ranging from a female paediatric urologist/moyel to a traditional Orthodox moyel. I want this procedure done in a hospital (Mt. Sinai has facilities, I think) and by an MD. But I have been told that unless I have an Orthodox bris my son will always be restricted in his life; ie., he will not be able to marry in Israel or marry an Orthodox girl. Certainly, Conservative and Reform moyels exist and are legitimate?
Eve
Toronto, Ontario

[Xanny]

At 20 months, you are definitely right to want the procedure done in a hospital. I believe there are Orthodox moyles who are also urologists and will do the ceremony in the hospital. However, it might be difficult to find an Orthodox moyle who will do the ceremony if you do not plan to raise the child Orthodox. We wanted to have an Orthodox conversion for our daughter for the same reasons you listed, but found it would be too difficult to arrange and are having Reform rabbis officiate instead.

Keep in mind that, should your child want to marry someone who cares about who did his bris, he can have the ceremony done again by an "acceptable" rabbi. If someone is already circumcised, the ceremony only involves a pinprick.

Also, don't forget the conversion, if you want everything to be kosher. He'll have to go to the mikveh, in addition to the bris.

Best wishes for a safe and easy trip and a happy result!

Xanny

[yael]

Also, some orthodox mohels might be willing to do the bris "for the sake of future conversion" as he would not actually be considered Jewish if he does not go to the mikvah and have an orthodox conversion. Unbeknownst to me, until much later when we checked into it, the orthodox rabbi who did my son's bris added this little extra prayer. It saved him from even having the pinprick later on. He is now a black hat orthodox Jew living in Jerusalem.
Yael