Brit Milah/Bris Milah
Birth ceremonies for boys and girls are different in the Jewish tradition. Both boys and girls have a "naming ceremony" but the boys also have a more formal rite called circumcision.
Girls: Traditionally the father of a Jewish baby girl would announce the name of his daughter in the synagogue about a month after she was born. The girl and her mother could be present although they often were not. Nowadays it is more common for the service to take place in the synagogue a few days rather than a month after the baby is born.
Boys: The ritual for boys is much more complicated and elaborate. After a boy child has been born a blessing is said and eight days later the child will be presented for the ceremony of circumcision. This may take place in the synagogue or in the home, or at the hospital. This is a very important ceremony and the only reason for delaying it is if the child is ill. The boy will be placed on the lap of the sandek (the counterpart of a Christian godparent). It is a great honor to be asked to perform this service. The circumcision is performed by the mohel, who may be a doctor but does not have to be. The circumcision of boys is a sign of the covenant that God agreed with Abraham.
After the ceremony the Father will recite the following blessing:
"Blessed are you Lord our God, King of the Universe, who sanctified us with his Mitzvah and commanded us to enter my son into the covenant of Abraham"
Those present will respond with the prayer:
"As he has been entered into the covenant may he come to study the Torah, enter into a marriage worthy of they blessing and live a life of good deeds"
After the ceremony a kiddush is said:
"Blessed are you Lord our God, king of the Universe who creates the fruit of the vine." Wine is drunk and a few drops are given to the baby. The boy child is then named and every one goes to the Seudat Mitzvah which is Hebrew for the "feast of the fulfilment of a commandment"
When a boy or girl are named they are given two names: a special or Holy name which will be in Hebrew, and an ordinary or everyday name which would normally reflect the country that they lived in.
What does circumcision mean?
A baby becomes a Jew because he has a Jewish mother and not because he is circumcised. There are two important things that circumcision means:
- The baby receives his father's blessing, and since the time of Abraham this has always been very important
- The baby become "religiously" clean and is welcomed into membership of God's chosen race.
The 'sign' in his flesh will constantly remind him of this.
"God said further to Abraham ........ every male among you shall be circumcised. And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be the sign of the covenant between me and you"
Genesis 17:9-11
Brit milah (Hebrew: בְרִית מִילָה [bə'rīt mī'lā] literally: "covenant [of] circumcision"), also berit milah (Sephardi), bris milah (Ashkenazi pronunciation) is a religious ceremony within Judaism that welcomes infant Jewish boys into a covenant between God and the Children of Israel through ritual circumcision performed by a mohel ("circumcisor") in the presence of family and friends, followed by a celebratory meal (seudat mitzvah).
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Info for Weston Limousine Service
Weston is a residential community in Southwestern Connecticut (about 45 miles from New York City).
Most shopping opportunities are outside of town with one small shopping center for conveniences. There are no condominiums, apartment houses or corporate offices. There is no public transportation. The New Haven Line of Metro North provides commuter trains from Westport into New York City. JFK, LaGuardia and Newark Airports are used by most residents for airline service. Major cultural activities are available in adjacent Westport, and in New Have; Stamford and New York City, to name a few. The Weston Commission for the Arts plans exciting cultural events in Weston each month. Our Recreation Department provides for a wide range of activities for residents of various ages. The 53 acre Bisceglie-Scribner Park provides active recreation and contains picnic facilities, a swimming pond and the Kiwanis Fitness Trail.
Weston is the way it is because of its history. An appealing place to live, Weston have conscientiously striven to maintain its charming rural character. Even today, vast stretches of woodland and fields speak of the farming heritage begun well before 1787, the date of incorporation. Fertile hunting grounds for the Pequots, the settlers soon discovered that there was room for them, too, and as the population increased in the Fairfield area, families moved north and west to "West Town." By mid-1800, Weston bustled; water power fueled many a thriving mill, and schools, churches and the Country Doctor were active.
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