HISTORY
Founded in 1745, in the days of George II, the Initiation Society (BRIS) is Anglo-Jewry’s oldest and longest-running organisation.
In 1745, London was a city of stark contrasts. While the wealthy lived in relative comfort, the poor faced unimaginable hardship. There was no social care, no safety net, and no organised healthcare. Disease was rampant, with outbreaks of smallpox, typhus, and dysentery sweeping through overcrowded and unsanitary streets. Malnutrition was common, and many simply starved to death, unable to afford food or medical assistance. The workhouses offered only the most basic and often brutal relief, and for the impoverished, life was a constant struggle for survival.
It was in this harsh reality that the Initiation Society was established. Recognising the desperate need for support, it provided assistance to Jewish families who could not afford the cost of Bris Milah, ensuring that this sacred mitzvah was upheld with dignity and care. Beyond the ritual itself, the Society offered guidance and aid, enhancing the welfare of the community at a time when no other help existed. In an era of suffering and neglect, the Initiation Society stood as a beacon of compassion and commitment, ensuring that even the poorest families could fulfil this fundamental Jewish tradition.
Whilst the poverty and hardship of those times has passed, BRIS/The Initiation Society seeks in today’s world to emulate the values of its founding fathers to ensure that this Mitzvah is preserved and is made readily and safely available to every Jewish person.