Why use a mohel?

It is important to understand that a mohel is a trained specialist in circumcision (performing a bris).

Generally, these words are interchangeable. The term circumcision refers to the physical procedure itself, and a bris indicates that there will be a ceremony performed along with the actual procedure, including prayers and the naming of the baby.

Whatever the reason for the circumcision, whether it is for religious reasons, health reasons, cultural reasons; a mohel performs this procedure for a widely diverse set of individuals.   

The mohel spends significant time both observing and performing this one procedure - as it presents itself differently in every individual. This is vastly different from a physician in a hospital setting who may have performed a handful of circumcisions while training as a medical resident. The method and equipment a physician uses increases both time and discomfort for the baby. In a hospital circumcision, family members are not invited, baby is strapped down and the procedure may take up to a half an hour to complete.

A mohel completes a bris in the shortest possible time, typically taking less than a minute to complete, reducing discomfort and pain for the baby. In addition, circumcisions performed by a mohel are generally performed in front of a concerned audience, family members, parents, friends. These differences not only lead to less complications, but also provide a warm and loving environment where the baby and parents will feel secure and comfortable.