4 Days, 4 Countries, 4 Bris Milahs

After a busy month of Tishrei, Rabbi Yossi Simon of Chabad Golders Green in London, England, thought he would have some time to get reorganized.

As they say, “Mentch Tracht un G-t Lacht” – “Man plans and G-d laughs.”

In the week after Tishrei, Rabbi Yossi Simon, who is an experienced Mohel, got a call from a family in Larnaca, Cyprus. “Can you come and do a bris?” they asked. Rabbi Simon agreed to travel there a few days later.

Two days later, Rabbi Yair Baitz called from Limassol, Cyprus. “Another family has had a boy. When you come, can you do this bris, too?”

What Rabbi Simon thought would be 2 Brissim ended up as 4 days, 4 countries, and 4 Bris Milahs.

That certainly hadn’t been the plan when Rabbi Simon boarded the plane to South Cyprus on Monday morning.

Immediately upon arriving in South Cyprus, Bris Milah number one was performed in Larnaca.

Within a few hours, he hit the road to Limassol, over an hour away, to do a Bris for baby number two.

The trip was supposed to end there, with the return flight scheduled for Tuesday. 2 Brissim and home in 2 days. But life is not so simple.

Rabbi Chaim Azimov, Chabad Shliach in North Cyprus called.

A local couple had given birth to a baby boy six months ago, but due to the Israeli Covid lockdown, they have been unable to arrange the Bris Milah for their son. Rabbi Azimov asked if Rabbi Simon would come. Of course, he said yes.

(Fun fact: South Cyprus and North Cyprus were at war with each other until 1974 and it is still not easy to travel from one to the other).

After more Covid tests, Rabbi Simon arrived in North Cyprus and performed Bris number three.

As he arrived at the government quarantine hotel, his phone rang!

It was Rabbi Yitzi Loewenthal, Director of Chabad of Denmark on the line. An Israeli family had given birth to a baby boy last week and would Rabbi Simon be able to get to Copenhagen, Denmark to perform the Bris on Thursday, he asked.

Arriving back in London, Rabbi Simon went shopping for kosher food for the family in Denmark, whom he had actually done a Bris for three years earlier, and left back to the airport. Rabbi Simon arrived a few hours later to meet the family, who traveled in from a town called Aarhus, three hours away, and performed Bris number four.

Final note: You will be pleased to know that according to the authorities in London, North Cyprus, South Cyprus, and Denmark, Rabbi Simon does not have Covid-19! More importantly, four Jewish children have been entered into the covenant of Israel.

Mazel tov!