Brit Makes Local History

Krasnoyarsk, Russia — Eight days after Rabbi Wagner and his wife Dina, welcomed a son, their child’s Brit Milah ceremony became part of local history and signified a growth of the community. This was the first ceremony in decades to follow all of the Jewish traditions associated with the ancient trdition and included over one hundred of their closest friends and family. The Chief Mohel of Russia, Dr. Ishaya Shafit, who came from Moscow, performed the bris. He had been to Krasnoyarsk before but only to perform the ceremony on two adults that decided to go through the ritual.

In addition to the relatives of the couple, guests attending included Rabbis from Tomsk, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk and Krasnoyark’s deputy governor. Later, everyone listened to a string quartet play Mozart on the balcony, toasted the joys of the event, which is still unusual in the city and were presented with a book before leaving.