A SIMCHA TO REMEMBER

“This is My covenant which you shall keep between Me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.“ (Bereishit 17:10)

On Sunday 11 October, 30 Tishrei, I was privileged to assist with a very special brit milah. The ‘baby’ was 58 year-old Stas Bibergal, a Russian man who has lived in Cape Town for many years. Stas was born and raised in Birobidzhan, the centre of the so-called Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia, located on the Trans-Siberian Railway, near the China–Russia border. The Communist Regime intended moving all the Jews in Russia to this region. To this day, many of the street signs and buildings in the town are in Yiddish. But there are virtually no Jews left there. (For a “tour” of the town by the Chabad Rabbi of Rostov, Rabbi Chaim Danziger, go to this link: https://youtube.com/shorts/WFnxVZTFEp4?si=Sr2887gn1iMZtd8z). Like most Russian men of his generation, Stas did not have a bris as Jewish religious ceremonies were strictly prohibited by the Soviet authorities. What was Stas’ motivation now, at close to sixty, to have a brit milah? His mom recently passed away and was buried in Israel. Stas researched his family history and discovered that his great-grandfather, David Bibergal was a renowned mohel in Odessa. In the archives from that period, almost 80% of all the brisses recorded were performed by Stas’ great-grandfather. Stas had wanted to arrange a brit milah for a long time but the knowledge that his ancestor was a famous mohel motivated him not to delay any further.  The mohel for his bris was Yitzchok Fischer from Monsey, New York. What was Yitzchok doing in Cape Town and what were the circumstances that led to this very special simcha? It is a marvellous tale that involves a great deal of hashgacha pratit, God’s personal supervision and involvement.

On 23 September 2026, two days after Yom Kippur, I received a message from Stas asking me about the possibility of a brit milah. He had just buried his mother and did not want to delay any further. He noted that Rabbi Mendel Popack of Chabad, Cape Town, had directed him to me. I explained to him that I do not do brit milah for adults but that I have a colleague in Johannesburg, Dr Dean Gersun, who does and that he should be in contact with him. I have assisted Dr Gersun with three adult brisses in Cape Town in recent years. Stas sent me documentation verifying that he is Jewish and said he would contact Dr Gersun to arrange the brit milah. Either he would fly to Johannesburg or Dr Gersun would travel to Cape Town. Then the festival of Sukkot was upon us and I did not give the matter any further thought.

In the meantime, the Cape Town Kollel, a new Torah learning centre situated in Sea Point, brought three families to Cape Town, with a fourth on the way. The head of the Kollel (Yeshiva for married men) is Rabbi Avromy Katz, originally from Monsey, New York. Rabbi Katz and his wife Chava are wonderful people who, I am sure, will add much value to the Cape Town Jewish community. We hosted them, together with the other two families, in our sukkah during Chol Hamoed. On Shemini Atzeret, Shabbat 3 October, Chava gave birth to her fourth child, a boy. I contacted Rabbi Katz after Yom Tov and explained that it would be difficult for me to perform the bris on Shabbat as I have obligations in my community. The possibility of walking from Claremont to Sea Point on Shabbat afternoon was also not a real option. It is a very long walk and, unlike the late Rabbi Maizels of blessed memory, I am not the fittest person! I did however explain that I could arrange one of my colleagues in Johannesburg to spend Shabbat in Sea Point. If that did not work out, then I would apply for leave. Rabbi Katz noted that his grandfather, Yitzchok Fischer, was a mohel and there was a chance that he would come from America for the bris. I told him to keep me updated. Two days passed, after which Rabbi Katz called and explained that, as much as his grandfather would like to come, the prices of flights were prohibitive. There was, however, a possible solution: There is an international organisation that sponsors mohalim to travel abroad in the event of difficult brisses or to perform brit milah on adults. Rabbi Katz asked me if I knew of any such cases in South Africa. At first, I went blank, but then I remembered Stas. I messaged him and asked whether he had arranged the bris with Dr Gersun. He replied in the negative.  I told him that there was a good chance that a veteran mohel from the USA would be in town soon and could do the bris. He was very excited and I put him in touch with Rabbi Katz who, in turn, connected Stas with his grandfather.

The rest, as they say, is history. Yitzchok Fischer performed the bris of his great-grandson, Yehuda Katz, on Shabbat 10 October, parashat Bereishit. The next day I met Yitzchok at the rooms of ENT surgeon Dr Ryan Karro at Cape Town Medi-Clinic, where Stas was waiting with his wife. Dr Karro is always happy to make his rooms available for brit milah. I have been privileged to perform the brisses of his two sons, Yishai and Yair, while Ryan has operated on my daughter, Naomi. Yitzchok Fischer is an incredible man who has dedicated his life to the mitzvah of brit milah. He is in his 70s and is a consummate professional with a wonderful bedside manner. He has visited Russia seventy times to perform brit milah, mostly on adults! After we had all donned scrubs and gloves, Yitzchok recited the blessings and performed the surgery, assisted by Dr Karro and myself. Stas was very emotional and thanked us all profusely for bringing him into the covenant of our forefather Abraham. When he had rested for a while and was able to stand, we all joined hands and danced together. It was truly a simcha to remember! Mazal tov to Stas, or in Hebrew, Binyamin ben Ida.

Lee, Chani Merryl & Naomi join me in wishing you Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Liebenberg.

This week’s YouTube message: https://youtu.be/Nk6GCjCneSg