Questions men ask
I was circumcised in a hospital. Do I still need a brit?
This is one of the most common questions I am asked. The short answer: often a brief, simple step is all that is needed, and it is far smaller than most men fear.
Why the question comes up
Many Jewish men in America were circumcised a day or two after birth, in the hospital, by a doctor. It was done for health or custom, without a mohel, without the blessing, and not as a brit milah.
Later in life, often when they come closer to Judaism, marry, or have a son of their own, they start to wonder: does that count? Am I part of the covenant?
What usually applies
When a circumcision was done, but not as a brit, the usual answer is hatafas dam brit (also written hatafat dam brit). A symbolic drop of blood is taken, with the proper intention, and it brings the circumcision under the covenant.
It takes minutes. There is no surgery and no long recovery, and most men are back to normal life the same day.
Sometimes a hospital circumcision was not done completely. If you are unsure, read is my brit complete? I can look at it with you privately and tell you honestly what, if anything, is needed.
How we go about it
It starts with a private conversation, by phone or on WhatsApp. You tell me what you know about how and where it was done. You do not need records or to work anything out first.
Then a rabbi decides what applies, and we choose a time that suits you. It is done discreetly, and nobody else needs to know unless you want them to. Cost should never be the reason; nobody is turned away over money.
Short answers
I was circumcised in a hospital. Is that a brit?
Usually not. A circumcision by a doctor in a hospital is normally not done as a brit milah. In most such cases a brief hatafas dam brit is what is needed. A rabbi decides each case.
What is hatafas dam brit?
A symbolic drop of blood taken where a circumcision was already done, but not as a brit. It takes minutes and brings the circumcision under the covenant.
Does it hurt?
It is a brief procedure, and most men find it a far smaller matter than they expected.
What if my son was also circumcised in the hospital?
The same applies to him, at any age. We can arrange it for both of you together if you like.
One private conversation.
It costs nothing, commits you to nothing, and stays between us.