Educational Resources

This Digital Resource Library was created by the Jewish Museum London learning team. The Library brings together objects, video and audio that relate to the Jewish experience in Wales from collections across the country and is specifically designed for teachers and students.

Silk Gown (Object)

Copyright/attribution: Jewish Museum London

What do you see?

We can see a piece of cream coloured fabric. We can see it has a collar with lace edges. Look closely, what can you see?

What do we know?

This is a silk and lace circumcision gown. It was used during the circumcision, or brit milah, for Herbert Shibko, who was born in Cardiff in 1909.

The Hebrew word for circumcision is brit milah, which means ‘the covenant of circumcision’. Brit Milah is the ceremony during which a circumcision is performed on Jewish baby boys when they are 8 days old. The ceremony is tradtionally performed at home. During the ceremony, a mohel performs the circumcision, blessings are recited and the child is given his Jewish name. This ceremony is important for many Jewish people as it is a symbol of the covenant that God made with Abraham.

What do you wonder?

We might wonder who else attended the brit milah ceremony? We might wonder who made this gown? What do you wonder?

Discussion Questions

Why might the ceremony of brit milah be important for many Jewish people around the world today?

Can you be Jewish and uncircumcised?