What to expect at the ceremony

The Circumcision

The ceremony will begin with an introduction of your new baby and a brief explanation of the proceedings. There will be some prayers in hebrew (please let me know if you would like them repeated in English). Following this, the circumcision procedure will take place. I will first numb the penis using lidocaine. I will then use a special clamp and tools to separate and then remove the foreskin. The procedure takes ~10 minutes to complete in its entirety. After the procedure, vaseline will be applied to the penis and a fresh diaper will be applied.

Naming Ceremony

Next you will have the naming part of the ceremony. This is the time where you will share your baby’s English and Hebrew names with your family and the meaning behind why these names were selected.

Closing the Ceremony

Following the closing of the ceremony, it is tradition to have a festive meal to celebrate welcoming your baby into the covenant. I will stay for part of the festive meal and perform a post-procedure check to ensure all bleeding has stopped before I leave for the day.

What to purchase for the ceremony

There are few purchases you will need to make in advance of the ceremony.

The most important is that you purchase vaseline (or other petroleum jelly) which can be applied to the circumcision site with every diaper change as the site heals to prevent the diaper from sticking to it.
Another item I recommend having handy is either sweet wine (such as Manischewitz) or grape juice. The sugar from the wine/juice acts as an analgesic for your baby during the circumcision.
A sturdy table for the procedure. This can be a table you already own.

Here are some extra items people choose to purchase:

Infant Tylenol
A special outfit (note that all pants/shorts will be removed during the ceremony)
A baby kippah/yarmulke
A special pillow for the procedure to be performed atop