“Very professionally done. Very impressed.”
Mazal Tov and welcome to the Milah Center
Our Vision
We are a group of experienced mohalim who believe that every Jewish baby boy deserves a bris milah that adheres to the highest standards of health, hygiene and halachah — and that every parent deserves peace of mind throughout the process.
We’ve seen new parents running around with their babies for pre-bris checkups and bilirubin tests, scrambling to figure out what items they need for the bris. The end result? They show up at the ceremony exhausted, overwhelmed and unable to fully enjoy the moment.
We envisioned a new bris experience for babies and parents. A place for you to ask all your questions, get all your needs met, and have all the necessary items provided.
You have a new baby at home — you need a relaxed, stress-free bris experience, without compromising one iota on expert care for your baby.
At the Milah Center, you have the peace of mind that comes from knowing you’re in capable hands. Every one of our mohalim has been meticulously trained in the ins and outs of his profession. We are committed to giving you the best care there is, before, during, and after the bris — including a full-service approach so you come to your baby’s bris calm, relaxed, and full of joy.
We look forward to celebrating with you!
FAQs with your mohel
The first mention of the commandment of circumcision is in Sefer Bereishit (17:10-12), when G-d spoke to Avraham (Abraham):
זֹאת בְּרִיתִי אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁמְרוּ בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם וּבֵין זַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ הִמּוֹל לָכֶם כָּל זָכָר: (יא) וּנְמַלְתֶּם אֵת בְּשַׂר עָרְלַתְכֶם וְהָיָה לְאוֹת בְּרִית בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם: (יב) וּבֶן שְׁמֹנַת יָמִים יִמּוֹל לָכֶם כָּל זָכָר לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם
“This is My covenant which you shall keep between Me and you and your children after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and that shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. At the age of eight days, every male among you shall be circumcised, throughout your generations…”
The mitzvah of milah is the greatest positive commandment in the Torah and one of the most widely-kept mitzvot today. (See Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Dei’ah §160, Tur Yoreh Dei’ah §260 and Masechet Nedarim 31b) Throughout history, Jews have fulfilled this mitzvah with great joy (Shabbat 130a); from the times of the Greeks through the Holocaust and Soviet Russia, Jews have performed it under the threat of death. It is, and always has been, a mark of Jewish unity and pride.
In Judaism, a new day always begins at sunset. So if your baby was born Sunday after nightfall or anytime on Monday before sunset, the bris will be held the following Monday.
There are many reasons a mohel is preferable to a medical doctor. The first is that circumcision is the mohel’s area of expertise and practiced far more frequently. As a result, his technique is faster, smoother, and more aesthetic than a doctor’s.
The second is that circumcision is more than just a surgical procedure. It is a deeply significant religious ritual. The Torah dictates that the bris milah must be performed not only by someone who is specially trained and technically proficient, but by a Torah-observant Jew who is well-versed in the meaning and traditions of bris milah.
You should contact us as soon as possible after your baby is born, so you can schedule the time slot you want most.
If you’re more comfortable getting in touch before your baby is born, feel free to do so.
Sterilization dramatically reduces the chance of infection, so YES, all instruments are sterilized. It’s important as well for the sandak, who will be holding the baby during the bris, to clean his hands before the bris.
We also recommend that you thoroughly wash your hands before taking care of the bris area.
While the actual procedure can be less painful after a shot of local anesthesia, the shot itself is painful to the baby — and can take longer to administer than it takes to do the bris! Beyond that, it causes the skin in the bris area to puff up, which affects the aesthetic results of the bris. It can also lead to major complications if the baby has an adverse reaction (and puts Mom and Dad on edge because their baby cries twice).
Our process is to perform the circumcision and then immediately apply a topical anesthetic to numb the spot on contact. We find that this is the smartest and safest way for Baby, Mommy and Daddy.
All you need to do is come happy and relaxed, knowing that you are receiving the best possible care. Our team provides all the necessary items for the bris ceremony, from the instruments to the decorative pillow to everything you need for post-bris care. All that’s left is the venue, meal, and any extras you may want for the event. And of course, don’t forget to bring the baby!
The halachah recommends trying to have a minyan (quorum of 10 men), or as close to it as possible. But if you choose, you can have a private ceremony with only the mohel present.
This is a very individual question.
Jaundice levels are measured by numbers. So the most common answer to this question is that when the jaundice levels pass the healthy threshold and move into questionable territory — around 12.5 mg/dL — we begin considering a postponement of the bris. Bear in mind, though, that there are a lot of factors beyond numbers that determine the final answer: how the baby looks, how strong he is, how well he eats, to name just a few. The right answer for your baby will be decided by the mohel based on information provided by the baby’s medical team.
Halacha dictates that “yellowness,” or jaundice, can be a sign that the blood hasn’t settled properly. This, in turn, can mean that the liver isn’t filtering the blood at full capacity, weighing down the body’s functions. We therefore wait until the baby regains full strength before we perform the circumcision.
Yes! Contact our team and we’ll guide you on steps you can take to reduce your baby’s jaundice level.
The mohel will supply you with the creams you need, and explain what to do, when to use them and how to change the baby. You will also receive clear printed instructions for you to refer back to.
If the baby is left with a bandage, the mohel will come to your home within 48 hours to remove it.
Red stains on your baby’s diaper are normal for the first couple of days, and are not a reason for alarm.
If you’re concerned at any point, feel free to call our 24-hour hotline. It’s always better to err on the side of caution.
While this is specific to each baby, generally there can be blood spots for 2-3 days. After that, it takes approximately three weeks for the bris to heal completely.
The circumcision procedure takes 30 seconds from the time the baby is undressed until the actual bris is over. The ceremony, of course, takes longer than that, depending on the number of participants and your personal preferences and/or family traditions.
The body discharges a natural healing property that’s yellow. It may look like a scab and it helps the healing process, so you shouldn’t remove it. If it looks red, or white with pus, call your mohel.
A brit milah only happens once.
Give your baby the best experience.
Yourself, too.
