Brit milah
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The brit milah, or bris, is the ceremony of circumcision in Judaism and Samaritanism during which a newborn male's foreskin is surgically removed. According to the Book of Genesis, God commanded the b
"Isaac's Circumcision", Regensburg Pentateuch, c. 1300
Jewish circumcision in Venice around 1780, Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme, Paris
Circumcision bench, 18th century. Jewish Museum of Switzerland.
Chair of Elijah used during the brit milah ceremony, Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme
Kaifeng Jews
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Kaifeng Jews are a small community of descendants of Chinese Jews in Kaifeng, Henan province, China. In the early centuries of their settlement, they may have numbered around 2,500 people. Despite the
Brit milah
…against circumcision—is celebrated in Hanukkah. Circumcision rates are near-universal among Jews, except for some heavily assimilated groups such as the Kaifeng Jews in China. Brit milah also has immense importance in other religions. The Gospel of Luke records that Mary and Joseph, the parents of Jesus, had him…
Jews of Kaifeng, late 19th or early 20th century
Ink rubbings of the 1489 stele (left) and 1512 stele (right)
A model of the Kaifeng synagogue at the Diaspora Museum, Tel Aviv
Interior of the Kaifeng synagogue, 18th century