Here are some additional helpful resources on Jewish circumcision practices: - The Mikvah.org website provides information about the Jewish ritual bath and other Jewish customs and traditions. It may have details about circumcision ceremonies. - The Nursing Times article "Caring for Jewish patients and newborns" outlines some cultural considerations for nurses, including the timing and process of brit milah circumcision. - The ABC News article reports on a 2013 herpes outbreak linked to circumcision rituals in NYC's Orthodox Jewish community. It describes the circumcision ceremony and traditions. I hope these additional resources are helpful for learning more about the cultural and religious aspects of brit milah in Judaism. Let me know if you need

1. Cultural Sensitivity in Maternal and Child Care
Observance of the laws of kashrut, the laws of nidah, the laws of tzniut
and all the commandments of the Torah bring spirituality to this physical
world. We believe that the entire universe was created to bring the glory
of G-d and His will from the highest heavens down to the mundane world
we live in, thereby giving all things physical, a spiritual significance.

2. "I have some real concerns about this couple.
Although they attended childbirth preparation
classes, the father wasn't physically supportive of his
wife. Oh, he was verbally supportive, but he wouldn't
touch her at all, not hand-holding or back-rubbing!
Any time we checked his wife or gave her physical
care, he left the room and didn't return until we
called him back. He refused to enter the delivery
room, too! He stayed in the labor room reading! In
the recovery room, he kept his distance. None of the
hugging and kissing we usually see after the birth.
They both say they're happy with the baby and yet
they won't call her by name."

3. * Provide a long-sleeved gown that the mother can wear with the
opening in front, covering her back.
* Rationale: Orthodox women generally choose clothing that covers
their elbows and knees.
* Permit the mother to wear her hair covering and/or provide a
bouffant-style operating room cap.
* Rationale: Women should cover their hair with a wig, scarf or
other head covering.
* Give the father the opportunity to leave the room during care and
exams in which his wife's body will be exposed.
* Husband should not be present during delivery. He may enter when
wife is fully draped
* Assist the laboring woman in maintaining head coverage; elbows,
knees, or anything possible is to remain covered as much as possible
* Rationale: Jewish men, despite their intimate relationship with
their wives, do not directly observe their wives while they are
immodestly exposed, maintaining their wife's dignity

4. * Encourage the father's non-physical coaching efforts such as eye-to-eye
contact, verbal support, or prayer. Once the husband stops providing
physical care, the nurse steps in, applying back counter-pressure, checking
relaxation, sponging the mother or applying compresses, and stroking or
massaging the mother.
* In place of the father, allow the presence of female labor companion, if
the mother desires.
* Rationale: Rabbis interpret the law to mean that niddah is signaled by
the onset of regular uterine contractions, others at the appearance of
"bloody show" or membrane rupture.
* Niddah is the time the couple refrains from sexual relations and tactile
affection

5. * Make sure that kosher meals have been ordered for the mother.
* Rationale: understanding and respect given by hospital staff can only help the
observant patient feel comfortable in her surroundings and enable her to focus her
energies on getting strong and well.
* Permit the mother to eat food brought from home to supplement hospital meals, if her
diet allows.
* Set aside a separate refrigerator in the lounge area or in her room so that she can store
her own food.
* Rationale: Jews who observe the kosher laws do not eat meat and dairy during the
same meal or use the same plates.
* Provide basin, water pitcher and cup so that the mother confined to bed rest can wash
her hands before each meal.
* consult with the mother, her family and the hospital dietician to assess and plan for
postpartum nutritional needs.
* Rationale: Before eating bread, the mother washes her hands. Before and after she
eats she recites blessings

6. * Shir HaMaalos (Psalm 121) is hung in the room of the new mother and the
newborn immediately upon the expectant mother’s arrival at the hospital.
* Serves as a safeguard for the mother, both during the birth and during the
following days, so that they will live a long life.
Psalm 121
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and
going
both now and forevermore.

7. * For the first 72 hours after birth, a woman is considered to be in the
category of someone who is seriously ill.
* Anything that needs to be done for her is permissible:
* Allowed to eat on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement where Jews fast for 25
hours).
* Shabbat (Sabbath) may be dishonored if there is no other way to meet her needs
during that time.
* On Shabbat, use of electricity and writing is prohibited; In terms of
hospital stay this includes:
* A. Call button
* B. Lights
* C. Phone
* D. Automatic doors
* E. Television
* F. Automatic bed adjustment
* G. No forms can be completed, therefore discharge will be delayed until after the
holiday
* A non-Jewish nurse can ensure patient comfort by:
* Adjusting bed
* Turning lights off/on
* Opening doors

9. * G-d commanded the Jewish people (Leviticus 12:2), “On the eighth day, the flesh of his
foreskin shall be circumcised.” The act of circumcision, marking the completion of the body,
is a human act. This teaches us that our spiritual, emotional, moral and ethical perfection
requires human effort. G-d cannot do it for us.
* The brit milah of a healthy baby is always done on the 8th day, even Shabbat or Yom Kippur,
and only during daylight hours! This 8th day is calculated to include the day of birth. If a baby
is born, for example, on a Tuesday afternoon, under normally circumstances the Brit would be
the following Tuesday, any time during the day. (There is a tradition to do the Brit as early in
the day as possible.) A Brit Milah performed prior to this 8th day, or at night, does not comply
with Jewish law, and is not considered a valid Brit
* The father of the infant stands next to the mohel, the one who will perform the circumcision.
The father picks up the surgical knife and hands it to the mohel, stating that he appoints the
mohel as his deputy to perform the brit milah, the circumcision.1 The knife is extremely
sharp, and double edged, in order to cause the least pain possible.
* The Sephardic custom is for the mohel to say, at this point in the ceremony, “bereshut moirei
verabotai,” “with the permission of my teachers and the community.” The community
responds, “l’chaim,” “to life.”
* The mohel recites the blessing, “Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, Who has
sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning circumcision.”
* Then he begins the circumcision.

10. *http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=play
er_detailpage&v=qb-hbcDcepY
*http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=play
er_detailpage&v=qb-hbcDcepY

11. * In the Torah it says that G-d changed Abraham's name from Avram to Avraham at the time of
his circumcision. In keeping with that tradition, a Jewish boy is given his Hebrew name at the
time of his Brit Milah. Judaism places a great deal of significance on a child's Hebrew name. It
is often customary to name the child after someone who led a righteous life so that the child
will try to emulate that individual. Ashkenazi Jews often name their children after a dearly
departed relative, while Sephardic Jews sometimes name their children in honour of living
relatives. In the case of someone who died at a young age, another name referring to life, or
the name of a person who lived a full life is added.
* May He who blessed our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David and
Solomon, bless this tender infant (baby's Hebrew name) and send him a complete recovery,
because he has enter the covenant , just as he entered the covenant, so may he entered into
Torah, to marriage canopy, and to good deeds; and let us say, Amen
*In Hebrew

12. *Jewish girls are named only on Mondays,
Thursdays or Shabbat – the days the Torah is
read during the prayers.
*Baby boys are named only at the brit milah –
circumcision ceremony performed on the
eighth day from birth.
*The birth certificate is often sent to the
parents with just “Baby Boy/Baby Girl” in
place of the name and parents then submit the
name at a later date and have it added to the
legal papers.

13. *Women consider a large family to be the
biggest blessing
*Procreation is a valued principle of marriage
*Only female contraception is allowed
*Methods are determined with advice of the
rabbi
*Abortion is only allowed if pregnancy permits
danger to mother or is result of rape or incest
*In a multiple pregnancy, one fetus may be
terminated to allow others to develop healthily

14. *observant men
and women do not
shake hands or
physically touch a
member of the
opposite gender
who is not a close
blood relative

15. A nurse is preparing to deliver a food tray to client
whose religion is Jewish. The nurse checks the food
on the tray and notes that the client has received
roast beef dinner with whole milk as beverage. Which
action will the nurse take?
*A. deliver the food tray to the client
*B. call the dietary department and ask for new meal
tray
*C. replace the whole milk with fat-free milk
*D. ask the dietary department to replace the roast
beef with pork

16. *Answer: B
*the diet for Jewish people is Kosher diet. Meat
and milk combination, pork, and scavenger
fishes are prohibited. The appropriate nursing
action is to call the dietary department to
change the meal tray of the patient

17. You are caring for a Jewish patient on Shabbat. In
what ways can you help meet her needs? Select all
that apply.
*A. turn off the lights when patient wants to rest
*B. ask the patient to use her call light if she needs
anything
*C. adjusting the bed
*D. ensure dietary needs are met
*E. ask the patient to sign discharge papers

18. *Answers: A, C, D, E
*Electricity, writing, and anything considered
work is prohibited on the shabbat. Asking the
patient to use her call bell would be
disrespecting this practice. In an emergency,
the practices would be overlooked.

19. In Judaism, a minor surgical removal of the skin covering
the tip of the penis is ritually performed when a boy is
_______ old in a ceremony called a brit milah, brit, or
briss, which indicates that the ritual establishes a
covenant between God and the individual.
A) 1 hour old
B) 2 days old
C) 3 months old
D) 8 days old

20. Answer: D
Rationale: Throughout the generations, at the age of eight days, every
male child must be circumcised. The Jewish ceremony of circumcision
is known as a brit milah, or 'brit' or 'briss' for short. "At the age of
eight days every male among you shall be circumcised, throughout
your generations ..." (Genesis 17:12) From this passage comes the
source of the ritual of circumcising a Jewish boy on his eighth day of
life. This date is only altered in circumstances of sickness, in which
case the circumcision is postponed until the baby is fit enough to
endure the operation without ill effect.

21. A ______________ is a Jewish ritual circumciser. The ceremony
usually takes place in the baby boy’s home, and should be done
in the presence of at least ten Jewish men.
A) Priest
B) Sangha
C) Mohel
D) Swami

22. Answer: C
A Jewish boy is circumcised by a person called a mohel, a ritual
circumciser. This man may also be a physician who is acquainted
with the Jewish laws of circumcision. The ceremony usually takes
place in the baby boy’s home, and should be done in the presence
of at least ten Jewish men. This enables prayers to be recited, as
a group of ten men, called a minyan, is the minimum requirement
for the commencement of most Jewish religious services. Priests
are Catholic, Sangha are Buddhists and a Swami is a religious
teacher of Hinduism.

23. *http://www.mikvah.org
*http://m.nursingtimes.net/205662.article
*http://abcnews.go.com/Health/herpes-strikes-
nyc-babies-ritual-
circumcisions/story?id=18890284#.UaTe1ZS_Fsc
.email