Tzvi Aharon Raphael's Brit Mila

Tzvi's brit milah took place on May 8, 2009 י"ד אייר תשס"ט at a hall near our house. There were over 300 people there. We were lucky that so many of our relatives and friends were there to share the simcha with us. Tzvi was passed from me to my mother Deanna, to my mother-in-law Diane, to my grandmother-in-law Ama to my sister Bracha to her husband Micha on his way to Avi. All this happened while Tzvi rested on a very special brit pillow. The pillowcase was made from sheets embroidered by a two woman who survived the Holocaust. The daughter of one of the women (herself a survivor albeit a young one - she was born several days befor the end of the war) davens in our shul. She decided to make a brit pillow out of these embroidered sheets and to lend it out to any and every brit she can because the real way we know that we've beaten the Nazis is by welcoming new Jewish children into the world.

While holding the baby, Avi led everyone in responsive reading of Shema and Ana Hashem. He then handed the baby to Mr. Sid Schiffman (a close family friend) who placed him on Eliyahu's chair. After that, Meir, Avi's brother passed the baby to Bob, Avi's father, who was the Sandek (godfather). Avi made the bracha lehachniso b'vrito shel Avraham Avinu - on bringing the child into the covenant of Avraham our father and a shehecheyanu - thanking G-d for bringing us to the time of this great new experience. After the brit milah itself, Akiva, Avi's brother, held the baby while Jeff, Avi's uncle, recited the longer bracha which includes the calling of the name and a blessing over the wine. After that I drank from the wine cup and also recited the Shehechiyanu blessing as well as the blessing HaGomel thanking G-d for getting me through the dangerous experience of childbirth.

Later on during the celebration Avi and I both spoke. Avi gave a dvar torah based on his bar mitzvah dvar torah having to do with kibud av v'em. I explained all of Tzvi's names as follows:

Tzvi is named for three very special men.

Tzvi in memory of Harold Lubin (Elchanan Tzvi) z"l who was my father's eldest brother and was the de facto head of our branch of the Lubin family. He passed away 7 years ago and his presence is missed at all family functions, especially the seder. It was appropriate that we got to give Tzvi his name on Pesach Sheni - the "second chance Pesach".

Aharon is in memory of Avi's maternal grandfather, Aaron Glassman z"l. His wife, Marion Glassman, was able to be with us at the brit milah.

Raphael, in memory of my maternal grandfather, Ralph Radin (Raphael Meyer). My grandmother, Minette, didn't make it for the brit, but got to spend some quality time afterwards with Tzvi.



Pictures by Debbi Cooper