Mazel Toy!

Above: Atara enjoys her
baby brother.

Left: Rabbi Joseph and
Susan Krako with
Micah.

LISA BRODY
Special to the Jewish News

hat if you had a bris and
no one was invited?
Acording to Rabbi
Joseph Krakoff of
Congregation Shaarey Zedek in
Southfield, you should feel relieved.
Not because you wouldn't be welcome,
however, but because you would not
be obligated to perform a mitzvah.
It is a Jewish law that you are not
allowed to invite people to a brit mila,"
explains Rabbi Krakoff. "It is a biblical
mitzvah, in the Book of Genesis, to cir-
cumcise a son on the eighth day fol-
lowing his birth, which makes it one of
the most important deeds in Judaism.
"You cannot ask people to do a
mitzvah, because then they may feel
obligated to perform it. A mitzvah
should be done freely, because some-

one wants to do it," says the rabbi.
How does this translate to inviting
your family and friends to a bris?
"When people hear about the
mitzvah of a bris, it should be their
joy to witness this mitzvah, and if
they cannot, they should not feel bad
about it," he says.
Rabbi Krakoff and his wife, Susan
know first-hand about the joy of the
mitzvah. They welcomed their sec-
ond child, son Micah Ephraim, into
their lives on Friday morning, Sept.
10. Big sister Atara Hannah is 22
months.
Rosh HaShana began at sundown
that evening, and many at Shaarey
Zedek had anxiously been awaiting the
news of the birth of "the young
rabbi's" child. Rabbi Krakoff's associ-
ates, Rabbis Irwin Groner and Stephen
Weiss, announced the birth at High
Holiday services, and Rabbi Leonardo

Bitran announced it at Shaarey Zedek's
B'nai Israel Center in West Bloomfield.
"We got around the law of not
inviting people to a bris by announc-
ing it, and letting people know it
would be held following Friday morn-
ing services at the shul the following
Friday," says Rabbi Krakoff. Between
175 and 200 people witnessed the
mitzvah of welcoming Micah
Ephraim into the covenant. Micah
was also named at this time, for
Susan's paternal grandfather, Milton
Zeff, and Joseph's paternal grandfa-
ther, Edward Krakoff.
The naming had strong symbolism
for the Krakoffs. In the Bible,
Ephraim is the son of Joseph, and is
mentioned in one of two blessings
over a son on Shabbat. And Micah
and Ephraim are two important
Jewish ancestors mentioned in the
Torah on the High Holidays. Micah

A‘;

Ephraim's birth on the morning before
the Shabbat and the New Year added
layers of meaning to the baby's name.
Besides, the Krakoffs love the
name Micah. "We've had this name
since before we had Atara," Rabbi
Krakoff says, laughing.
Susan found having a baby in the
midst of a large congregation a won-
derful experience. "It was nice," she
says. "Everyone was always asking
about me, how I was feeling, and
since having Micah, everyone asks
about me, the baby and how Atara is
doing."
Rabbi Krakoff has enjoyed sharing
this major life event with his congre-
gation. "I love this congregation so
much. It's a beautiful thing that we
can share this simcha with them,
because I share their simchas.
"We feel like we're another simcha
in the Shaarey Zedek family." ❑

10/2 9

1999

Detroit Jewish News

63