A Brit Mila in Kishinev

Yuri and Olga grew up in Kishinev during a time when the word "Jew" was simply a notation on a passport.  With the fall of the Soviet Union, Yuri and Olga were free at last to embrace their faith and culture.  The two quickly became activists in the Kishinev Jewish community. 

Then, they had a son.

"We were determined to have a brit mila on the eighth day, as tradition requires," Yuri recalls  "But we could not find a local mohel."

Luckily, JDC volunteers heard about Yuri and Olga’s predicament and were able to arrange for a mohel to travel from St. Petersburg to Kishinev to perform the circumcision ceremony.  It was the first brit mila held in the country in 50 years.

Writing in thanks, the parents expressed their heartfelt emotions:  "This has been an incredible and unforgettable experience: to hold our son and realize that he is re-establishing our lost connection with the age-old Jewish tradition, with the covenant made by God with Abraham…. We have a tiny yet genuine Jew growing up in our family…."