animated Brit Shalom logoBrit Shalom Celebrants

For simplicity, this page may now be cited as http://shalom.notlong.com.

Brit Shalom is a non-cutting naming ceremony which replaces Brit Milah (ritual circumcision) for newborn Jewish boys. It is not intended for boys who have previously been circumcised in a hospital. It can be similar to the naming ceremony traditionally used for baby girls. It may be performed by a Rabbi or other experienced lay leader. If desired, celebrants can aid parents in devising their own ceremony. It has also been termed Alternative Brit (or Bris), Brit B'li Milah (Covenant without cutting) and Brit Chayim (Covenant of Life).

This list is continually being updated.

(Canada, Europe, United Kingdom)

UNITED STATES
(Click on the light blue states for the celebrants there)

States (alphabetical)

California
Colorado
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
  Illinois
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
New Jersey
  New Mexico
New York
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Washington

CALIFORNIA

   SO CAL

Rosalie Gottfried, Madrikha
29382 Buckhaven
Laguna Niguel CA 92677
(949) 249-3755 or (949) 770-6662
rosart1@aol.com
www.jewishceremonies.com

Hershl Hartman, Secular Jewish vegvayzer/madrikh/Leader
Education Director, The Sholem Community and Educational Institute
3142 S. Bentley Ave.
Los Angeles CA 90034
(310) 473-4323
hershl@earthlink.net
www.sholem.org

   NO CAL

Rabbi Jay B. Heyman, D.D.
Shalom Spiritual Resources
403 Main Street, #218N
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 291-0990
1-888-SHALOM2 (toll free)
rabbi@shalomspirit.org
http://www.shalomspirit.org/

Rabbi Nathan Segal
POB 880
Larkspur CA 94977
(415) 419-3511
nathan@rabbinathan.com
www.rabbinathan.com/

Rabbi and Cantor Judith Seid
1817 Sinclair Drive
Pleasanton, CA 94588
(925) 485-1049
judithseid@aol.com

Rabbi Meryam Zislovich
P.O.Box 147
Forest Knolls (Marin County) CA 94933
zmeryam@yahoo.com

Mark David Reiss, M.D.
773 Duncan Street
San Francisco California 94131
(415) 647-2687
mdreissmd@aol.com

Rabbi Yeshaia Charles Familant
332 O'Connor St
Menlo Park CA 94025
(650) 326-5330
yeshaia@sbcglobal.net

There are other celebrants in California who do not wish their contact information listed publicly. Please contact Mark D Reiss, M.D. for further information.

COLORADO

Miriam Pollack
P.O. Box 767
Boulder, CO 80306-0767
(303) 247-0790
m3pollack@comcast.net

DELAWARE

Interfaith Clergy Network
Phone toll free: (877) 779-0017
interclerg@aol.com
http://www.interfaithclergynetwork.com/

DISTRICT of COLUMBIA

Rabbi Binyamin (Ben) Biber MSW
9039 Sligo Creek Pkwy #1410
Silver Spring MD 20901
(301) 563-6341
rav.bibi@verizon.net
www.machar.org

FLORIDA

Betty Pelletz, Madrikha candidate
3427 Winding Oaks Drive
Longboat Key FL 34228
(941) 383-1149
Besttwo@aol.com

ILLINOIS

Rabbi Adam Chalom
Kol Hadash Humanistic Congregation
P O Box 405, IL 60035
(847) 347-3003
info@kolhadash.com
http://www.kolhadash.com

There are other celebrants in Illinois who do not wish their contact information listed publicly. Please contact Mark D Reiss, M.D. for further information.

MARYLAND (See also DISTRICT of COLUMBIA)

Deb Godden, Madrikha
7501 Central Ave.
Takoma Park, MD 20912
Phone: (301) 891-4944
urbanharto@verizon.net

There are other celebrants in Maryland who do not wish their contact information listed publicly. Please contact Mark D Reiss, M.D. for further information.

MASSACHUSETTS

Dennis Geller, Ph.D. Madrikh/Humanistic Jewish Clergy
8 Thayer Place
Brookline MA 02445
(617) 529-9483
dpgeller@humanist-rites.com
www.humanist-rites.com

Ronald Goldman
Circumcision Resource Center
PO Box 232
Boston MA 02133
(617) 523-0088
crc@circumcision.org
www.circumcision.org

Elaine Kamienny, Madrikha, Humanistic Jewish Clergy
66D Brian Drive
Stoughton, MA 02072
(781) 341-1810
Elaine@CeremoniesOfLife.com
http://www.ceremoniesoflife.com/

Sunny Schwartz, MSW, Madrikha/Humanistic Jewish Clergy
54 Boylston St
Boston MA 02130
(617) 522 3888
sunnyschwartz@yahoo.com

Rabbi Elyse Wechterman
Congregation Agudas Achim
901 North Main Street
Attleboro MA 02703
(508) 222 2243
rabbi@agudasma.org
www.agudasma.org

MICHIGAN

Norm Cohen
NOCIRC of Michigan
PO Box 333
Birmingham MI 48012
(248) 642-5703
NormCohen@NOCIRCofMI.org

Rabbi Miriam S. Jerris, Ph.D.
10544 Lincoln Dr.
Huntington Woods MI 48070
(248) 543-7396
miriam@theweddingconnection.net
http://www.theweddingconnection.net/

Janis Levin-Gorelick, Counselor - Minister - Madrikha HSOF - LCSHJ
1401 Forest Bay Drive
Waterford MI 48328
(248) 681-0447
jgorelick@secularceremonies.net
http://www.secularceremonies.net/

NEW JERSEY

Interfaith Clergy Network
Phone toll free: (877) 779-0017
interclerg@aol.com
http://www.interfaithclergynetwork.com/

Rhea Bolasny Seagull, Certified Leader, Leadership Conference of Secular & Humanistic Jews
662 Prospect Avenue
West Orange NJ 07052
(973) 325-7247
RheaCBS@aol.com

NEW MEXICO

Keren Khaya Abrams, ordained Omanaya (Jewish ritual artist and spiritual guide)
Glorieta, NM (Santa Fe area - will travel)
(505) 349-4009
info@ritualartist.net
www.ritualartist.net

Rabbi Raymond Singer, Ph.D.
36 Alondra Road
Santa Fe NM 87508
work (505) 466-1100
fax (505) 466 1101
ray.singer@gmail.com
www.neurotox.com

NEW YORK

Interfaith Clergy Network
Phone toll free: (877) 779-0017
interclerg@aol.com
http://www.interfaithclergynetwork.com/

   NYC

Moshe Rothenberg
715 Ocean Parkway Apt 2K
Brooklyn NY 11230
(mobile only) 347-248-6584
mrothenberg5@optonline.net

Rabbi Peter Schweitzer
The City Congregation for Humanistic Judaism
180 Riverside Drive
New York, NY 10024
(212) 873-7849
rabbipeter@earthlink.net
www.citycongregation.org
www.secularjewishceremonies.net

   UPSTATE

Mona Sulzman, Spiritual Leader/Cantorial Soloist
Congregation Tikkun v'Or / Ithaca Reform Temple
(607) 277-7533
mona@lightlink.com

There are other celebrants in New York who do not wish their contact information listed publicly. Please contact Mark D Reiss, M.D. for further information.

OREGON

Rabbi Hanan Sills
PO Box 5701
Eugene OR 97405
(541) 344-7945

Rabbi Joey Wolf
Havurah Shalom
825 NW 18th Street
Portland OR 97209
(503) 248 4662
jaw@havurahshalom.org_/ jaw@spiritone.com
www.havurahshalom.org

PENNSYLVANIA

Interfaith Clergy Network
Phone toll free: (877) 779-0017
interclerg@aol.com
http://www.interfaithclergynetwork.com/

There are other celebrants in Pennsylvania who do not wish their contact information listed publicly. Please contact Mark D Reiss, M.D. for further information.

WASHINGTON

Barbara H. Brandt, CHC, madrikha, Certified Humanist Clergy
235 S. Forest St
Bellingham, WA 98225
(360) 671-1889
bhbrandt@earthlink.net

 

CANADA

ONTARIO

Rabbi Eva Goldfinger
(905) 889-7450
evagoldfinger@rogers.com

 

 

UNITED KINGDOM

LONDON

Dr. Jenny Goodman
83 Clifford Road
New Barnet
Herts. EN5 5NZ
(44 20) 8441 8779 ( Leave a phone number. Dr Goodman does not use email. She is experienced in Brit Shalom and keen to consult with parents and help them devise their own ceremonies, but she can not officiate.)

Laura Miller, Madricha, Humanist Jewish officiant
68 Etherley Road
London N15 3AU
England
(44 20) 8800 5120
madrichalaura02@yahoo.co.uk

 

EUROPE

GERMANY

Rabbi Kai Eckstein
Postfach 740121
22091 Hamburg
Germany
+49 (0)40 287 81 187
humanrabbi@hotmail.com

Rabbi Eckstein will travel anywhere in Europe to help with Brit Shalom.

HUNGARY

Dr Hanoch Ben-Yami
Philosophy Department
Central European University
Nador u. 9, H-1051
Budapest
Hungary
+36 1 327 3000 ext. 2557
h.benyami@gmail.com



 

 

For the name of a Brit Shalom celebrant in your area
or to be added to this list,
email Dr Mark Reiss
or write to
Mark David Reiss, M.D.
773 Duncan Street
San Francisco California 94131
phone (415) 647-2687
fax (415) 647-6129

Dr Reiss has written a position statement about circumcision.

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madrikh, madrikha (Hebrew, masc. and fem.):
vegvayzer (Yiddish):
Bracketleader. All three terms are used to reflect the inclusiveness of the Secular and Humanistic movements in Judaism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CIRCUMCISION…MY POSITION
Mark D. Reiss, M.D. (revised 2006)

Dr Mark Reiss

I am a 72 year old retired physician, a Jew who is an active member of a Conservative synagogue, and a grandfather.

When I was in Medical School in the 1950s, almost all newborn males were circumcised. Despite the fact that prophylactic surgery was not generally performed, we were taught that circumcision was the correct and healthy thing to do. It was thought to control masturbation, decrease cancer risk, and help curtail sexually transmitted diseases. We learned nothing of foreskin anatomy or function. Infant nervous systems were thought to be undeveloped and their pain was so trivialized that it was almost ignored. As a young physician, I participated in many circumcisions. Over the years I've witnessed brit milah in the homes of friends and family. I was mildly uncomfortable with the practice, but like most physicians, and like most Jews, I said and did nothing to question circumcision.

Five years ago, as I was about to become a grandfather for the first time, my interest in the subject became more focused. I learned that more and more physicians now realize that any potential benefits of circumcision are far outweighed by its risks and drawbacks. The American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that "Routine circumcision is not necessary". Whether done by a physician in the hospital, or a mohel in a ritual brit milah, the procedure has significant complication rates of infection, hemorrhage and even death. Mortality may actually be higher than thought since some of these deaths have not been attributed to circumcision, but listed only under their secondary causes, such as hemorrhage or infection. I've learned of the very important role the foreskin has in the protection of the head of the penis in the infant, and in sexual functioning in adulthood. It has also been shown that the newborn feels pain even more acutely than adults do, and that many of the infants who stop crying during circumcision are actually in a state of traumatic shock. To my amazement I learned that the USA is now the only country in the world routinely circumcising babies for non-religious reasons.

With these overwhelming reasons not to circumcise, I began to look at the practice of ritual circumcision in the Jewish community and I learned that: circumcision is not an identity issue. You do not need to be circumcised to be Jewish any more than the need to observe many other Jewish laws. The bottom line is this: if your mother is Jewish, you are Jewish, period. And in the Reform tradition, patrilineal descent is also accepted. Among Jews in Europe (only 40% of newborn Jewish boys in Sweden are being circumcised), South America, and even in Israel, circumcision is not universal. Growing numbers of American Jews are now leaving their sons intact as they view circumcision as a part of Jewish law that they can no longer accept. Alternative brit b'li milah or brit shalom ceremonies (ritual naming ceremony without cutting) are being performed by some rabbis. Increasing numbers of intact boys are going to religious school, having bar mitzvahs, and taking their place as young adults in the Jewish community.

As a Jewish grandfather, I want to assure young couples about to bring a child into the world, that there are other members of the Jewish "older" generation, including other Jewish physicians, and even some rabbis, who feel as I do. If your heart and instincts tell you to leave your son intact, listen!