Rabbi
Zachary
Hepner

For initial communication with Rabbi Hepner, please text Rabbi Hepner the following text message to (212) 316-4784:

Expecting parents:
“Hi Rabbi, My name is                        , our due date is (   date   .)  We are seeking a bris/holistic circumcision/baby girl naming. We would like it to take place at (    address    .) Please call us back to discuss.

Postpartum parents:
“Hi Rabbi, My name is                     . We had a baby at (   date & time   .) We are seeking a bris/holistic circumcision/baby girl naming to take place at (   address   .) Please call us back.”

Please note: Messages received on Shabbat will be returned Saturday night.

I make sure that my ceremony is inclusive of all family members and friends present. I take particular care to explain and translate all of the prayers, and I explain all of my actions. I take steps to include family members of different religions and cultures when the bris is performed for an interfaith family. This should be a bonding experience.  My circumcisions adhere to the highest medical and sanitary standards and use state of the art equipment minimizing pain and procedural time, while maximizing safety and precision.

While I have performed bris milah without any crying, such an occurrence is rare but possible.  I have developed a protocol that minimizes the pain of the procedure. These protocols include, systemic and local topical anesthetics, proper handling of the baby, speed of the circumcision and technique used, and carefully given instructions for the post circumcision aftercare.

I am a traditional, modern mohel.  I perform brisses and circumcisions for families of all backgrounds (Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Orthodox, Sephardic and Ashkenazic), Interfaith, Alternative and secular families. Including hatafat dam brit milah, and Baby Naming ceremonies for girls.

In addition to being a rabbi, I have been performing Jewish circumcisions for almost 3 decades. My certification followed my 1997 rotation at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem with the Chief Mohel of Israel. In addition to standard circumcisions, my proficiency also includes circumcisions for infants with abnormalities of male genitalia (hypospadias etc…), rare but necessary emergency post bris care, and dealing with neurotic UES grandparents.

• A certification by a brit milah board
• Bedside manner
• Religous training, personal observance and professional knowledgeable about and adherence to halakha, Jewish law
• Years of experience, and having performed hundreds, if not thousands, of brisses
• The ability to perform a quick circumcision while minimizing pain and maximizing precision
• The modern septic techniques including proper sterilization, usually by autoclave, and the use of surgical gloves
• Commitment to punctuality and to staying after the bris to explain aftercare instructions in detail
• Sensitivity to all family issues and concerns

Bris Milah, ritual Jewish circumcision, is one of the most fundamental precepts of the Jewish religion. It is referred to in the Torah as The Covenant of Abraham, since our forefather Abraham was the first to receive the commandment concerning circumcision from God 4000 years ago. The medical procedure of circumcision is an important, but not the only, part. A bris takes your baby boy and and bonds him to thousands of years of tradition in the presence of family and friends. A bris can be a catered affair in a restaurant or hotel room, or a private ceremony with just the parents and baby.

As reported by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 1999, neo-natal circumcision helps protects against:

• urinary tract infections
• penile cancer
• sexually transmitted diseases
• balanoposthisis (infection of the glans)
• phimosis (failure of the foreskin to retract)
• ease of genital hygiene

Several honors are optionally given during the ceremony, usually bestowed upon the relatives and close friends of the baby’s family.

Kvatter:
The couples who carry the baby in.  This is often designated for grandparents.

Kisei Shel Eliyahu:
The person who places the baby on the chair designated for Elijah the Prophet.  This may be split into multiple honors.

Sandek:
The person who holds the baby during the Bris ceremony.  This may be split into multiple honors.

​Brachos, Krias Ha’shem:
The person who recites the blessings and names the baby. This can be split into multiple honors and is often recited by the moyel.

My ceremony is both traditional and enlightening.  In addition to the rituals recited in Hebrew, which take about three minutes, I include a brief speech to make the ritual relevant to the parents a family present. I always make sure everything present understands everything that is going on. The circumcision, which takes approximately 1 minute, is performed towards the end.  The entire ceremony lasts approximately 10 minutes.  My goal is for you and your family to have a meaningful life cycle ritual and gain a deeper appreciation of this awesome mitzvah.  A minyan present at a brit mila is optional and up the the parents.

1. Diapers and baby wipes
2. A+D ointment and Bacitracin ointment
3. Hand sanitizer, such as Purell
4. Small box of gauze pads at least 3″x3″
5. Manischewitz Concord Grape Kosher wine
6. 1-2 pillows, standard size. Pillowcases may be any color.
7. If the bris is taking place outside the home, have two chairs, a table (card table size or larger) and a waste basket available.
8. A few yarmulkes (kippot), 2 prayer shawls (talis) and a pillow. This is for Bris clients, holistic circumcision clients may skip #8.
9. 1 pack of clear plastic shot glasses. This is for Bris clients, holistic circumcision clients may skip #9

When a healthy baby is born before sunset, then day 8 is the same day of the following week.
Example: A healthy baby boy is born on Wednesday at 7:00am. Day 8 is the following Wednesday.
When a healthy baby is born after sunset, day 8 is the next day the following week.
Example: A healthy baby boy is born on Wednesday at 10:00pm. Day 8 is the following Thursday.
When a healthy baby is born on Shabbat, the majority of Brisses are done on day 9, which is the next Sunday. Rabbi Hepner will ask a few questions and determine which is the proper day for the bris to take place.