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By Ephra\u00efm Kahn<\/strong><\/p>\n Circumcision, also known as Brit-Milah<\/em> (\u05d1\u05b0\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05ea \u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05dc\u05b8\u05d4), marks the newborn male’s entry into Abraham’s Covenant and the fold of Jewish peoplehood.<\/p>\n Like every stage in Jewish life, the circumcision ceremony follows a codified rite. How could it be otherwise? – with a festive meal.<\/p>\n On the eighth day of life, the baby – if healthy – is carried into the room where family and friends are gathered. When the ceremony takes place in the synagogue, the event is often communal.<\/p>\n The arrangement of furniture is precise: in the center, a throne nicknamed the prophet Elijah’s chair<\/em>. This is where the baby is placed, sometimes on the Sandak<\/em>‘s lap[1]<\/sup><\/a>The Sandak is the person who holds the male child on his thighs or knees during circumcision. Depending on the tradition, this position may be occupied by the baby’s grandfather or father, or … Lire la suite<\/span><\/span><\/span>The ceremony<\/strong><\/h3>\n