One Day, Five Bris Milahs in Hong Kong

By COLlive reporter

Just about when the borders of Hong Kong closed to people who did not carry a resident visa due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the first of four baby boys was born in Hong Kong. That was back in April. While bringing a mohel to Hong Kong was never an issue, suddenly it became impossible. Conventional wisdom was that this would be a short-lived problem and these closures would not last too long. Right? Wrong!

It soon became clear that the border restrictions were here to stay and were only going to get stricter – as they did, with airport testing and carefully monitored quarantines.

As time went on, one family after another gave birth to a baby boy with no mohel in sight. Although a few approaches to the immigration department by various community members were made, they were to no avail. There would be no visa issued to a mohel from overseas. There were murmurs that the only option was to use a local doctor to perform the circumcisions.

Enter Rabbi Mordechai Avtzon, Head Shliach of Chabad of China, who wouldn’t take no for an answer. Endless days and sleepless nights ensued until the following law was discovered. It stated that a local doctor may invite a doctor from overseas if there is a unique procedure required for which there is no expertise in Hong Kong. This was the first glimmer of hope.

Circumcisions in Hong Kong are sometimes performed by obstetricians. A call was, therefore, made to a local obstetrician who, over the years became a good friend of the Avtzons and other members in the Jewish community. He agreed to submit an application to the government to invite a doctor who is also a mohel to Hong Kong to “teach him” the Jewish technique.

With the amazing assistance of Rabbi Yaakov Herzog, of Brit Yosef Yitzchak in Israel, Dr. Binyamin Raskin, a mohel who is also a top surgeon in Israel, was recruited and the visa application was made.

This was no simple visa application. To the local authorities, who did their research online, the whole concept of a Jewish bris was “questionable” at best, and there were some within the department that tried to block it.

Suffice it to say, some lessons learned from stories of mesirus nefesh in Russia served Rabbi Avtzon well to finally procure the necessary visa. On one bright Friday morning, approximately two months ago, the visa came through. Shabbos was ushered into the homes of the newborns and, of course, Chabad as well, with untold joy.

To make a long story short, there were further delays relating to quarantine, length of absence allowed by the hospital and other issues that arose, that further delayed his arrival by a month. There were some who doubted it would ever actually happen. With constant changes in restrictions, and rising numbers of Corona cases in Israel, it was not until Dr. Raskin landed in Hong Kong two weeks ago that everyone could breathe a sigh of relief.

This past Monday, after two weeks of lonely quarantine for the mohel, there were four babies – ranging in age from 1 month – 4 months who were welcomed into the Bris of Avraham in the span of just 3 hours.

But wait! The title says 5 Brisin. Yes. There was a fifth one, indeed. One that will be engraved in the hearts and minds of those involved. It was the bris of an 11-year old boy who opted, on his own, to undergo this brave procedure.

He had spoken to Rabbi Avtzon who taught him about the privilege of choosing to do a bris like the original Avraham Avinu. Two days later, the boy decided to do the ultimate Mitzvah “for Hashem” and this young hero underwent a bris and took on the name Avraham.

Moments before he received his name, Rabbi Avrohom Shemtov, father of Goldie Avtzon, face-timed with this young boy and spoke to him about the great zchus of carrying this name. His mother related that this was a highlight of the boy’s experience.

To celebrate this beautiful occasion, Rabbi Mordechai and Goldie Avtzon gifted the young boy with a dollar – one of 18 dollars that had once been sent by the Rebbe “for the community of Hong Kong.” Who better to receive this dollar than this young Avraham!

Chabad of Hong Kong wishes to thank the Consulate of Israel, the Interior Ministry and members of the Jewish community who contributed with their expertise, commitment and financial assistance to help make this happen.