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Mohel in Philadelphia, PA — A Bris at Home

Greater Philadelphia has a Jewish population of roughly 280,000 — larger than Cleveland, Detroit and Pittsburgh combined, and one of the oldest Jewish communities in America. Mikveh Israel has been here since 1740.

The community we come to

Jewish Philadelphia is not in one place, which matters when you are arranging a visit.

The Main Line. Lower Merion township alone has more than 13,000 Jewish households — congregations and minyanim across every denomination, stretching from Wynnewood out to Wayne. Bala Cynwyd, Merion and Wynnewood are the centre of it, and a good share of the families who call us are there.

Old York Road and Elkins Park. The northern corridor, with Beth Sholom and Keneseth Israel among others.

Bucks and Montgomery counties. More than 27,000 Jewish residents between them, spread across suburbs rather than concentrated in one township.

The city itself — Center City, Wynnefield, the Northeast — where the community has been longest.

We come to all of it, and out into Delaware and Chester counties.

Rabbi Tzvi Fischer is a certified mohel, trained in New York, certified by the International Bris Milah Association, performing circumcisions since 2001 — the seventh generation of his family to do this work.

THE EIGHTH DAY

Philadelphia is a long trip, and the date is fixed

There is no way to make this sound convenient, so: Philadelphia is the furthest east we travel, and it is a planned journey rather than one we fit around a day. A brit milah is on the eighth day, counted from the birth — not the eighth-ish day.

Those two facts are compatible if you call with a due date. They are often not compatible if you call with a four-day-old baby. We would rather you read that here than hear it on the phone.

Philadelphia also has more mohelim of its own than anywhere else we serve, which is worth saying plainly: if the eighth day is tight and we cannot reach you, a local mohel is the right answer and we will say so. We come for families who want us specifically, or who cannot find someone for their date.

Travel is a real line item here and it is on your quote before you commit.

If your son is not well on the eighth day, the bris waits. Jaundice, prematurity, low weight or illness all postpone it, and Jewish law puts his health first in plain terms.

Philadelphia bris questions

Do you cover the Main Line and the northern suburbs?

Yes — Bala Cynwyd, Merion, Wynnewood and the wider Lower Merion area, Elkins Park and the Old York Road corridor, Bucks and Montgomery counties, and the city itself. Tell us the address and the date.

There are mohelim in Philadelphia already. Why would we call you?

Often you should not, and we will tell you so. Families call us when they want this particular practice, when their date is hard to fill locally, or when they want the same person for a second or third son. If a local mohel can serve your eighth day, that is the simpler answer.

How much notice do you need for Philadelphia?

As much as you can give, ideally before the birth. It is the longest trip we make, and the eighth day cannot move to accommodate it.

It is a real circumcision, properly done

A local anesthetic, sterile professional-grade instruments, and screening beforehand — prematurity, feeding, weight, jaundice, bleeding history, vitamin K. There are findings, hypospadias among them, that mean we decline and tell you why. What the visit involves · the ceremony in full · mohel vs. doctor.

What it costs

A $980 professional fee, plus travel expenses, quoted upfront. No separate ceremony charge. Philadelphia travel reflects the distance and is on the quote before you decide.

Planning a bris in Philadelphia?

A consultation is free and commits you to nothing — including the conversation about whether a local mohel is the better fit for your date.