עברית
From the War Front to Covenant: The Journey of Adult Circumcisions
Two decades ago, Aaron Yosef Kramer discovered some of his students were uncircumcised. Since then, he's dedicated himself to bringing more Jews into the covenant of Abraham, whether confronting an assimilated Frenchman or navigating the bombarded cities of Ukraine.
(Photo illustration: shutterstock) When the phone rings late at Mohel Aaron Yosef Kramer's home, he knows a significant task is ahead. "A call at such a late hour always signals something out of the ordinary," says Kramer from his home in Beitar Illit. The recent call was to perform a *brit milah* for a Jew in Ukraine's high-security Odessa prison—an unusual request indeed. Kramer, a seasoned mohel, serves Jews often unable to have had circumcisions in their youth. This call meant postponing other plans, such is the man's dedication to this sacred task. "The urgency came because performing a *brit milah* in prison is rarely permitted," he shares. Quickly arranging travel, Kramer was at the prison gates by the next afternoon to meet a Jew seeking spiritual strengthening after learning about Judaism from behind bars. The authorities allowed the ceremony, showing an openness he rarely sees, especially in such a guarded context. The emotional occasion concluded with celebratory cakes and the gift of a Psalms book.
