A word about this blog

This blog consists of practical information for those looking into bris milah and circumcision, as well as observations and thoughts about the subject in question, including some philosophical comments and reactions to news stories. Of course everything is from my perspective, based on the things I have learned, studied, been taught, and experienced through my years of training and hands-on practice as a mohel.

Over the years I've had this blog, the audience has been expanding – and for that I am grateful. Grateful that I can play a role in educating people about bris milah, and that the perspective I have to offer (which, of course, is not the only perspective out there) has an audience.

On account of the sensitive nature of this blog, I have chosen to heavily monitor the comments that come through. To bring a few examples:

• This is a pro-bris blog, not a pro-circumcision blog. Comments from those who are anti-circumcision have no place here.
• This is a blog which shares information to educate or to inform people what is out there, what to ask about and what to look for when hiring a mohel – wherever you may find yourself and whomever you may be hiring. Comments from those who claim that all mohels are the same and give the same services in terms of personality, sterility, cleanliness, and resulting bris look have no place here. That presumption is simply not true.
• This is a blog in which I share some information about my personal practices as a mohel. I am happy to explain details people have questions about in this regard. I have studied many halakha sources (though certainly not everything out there – who has?), I continue to converse with mohel colleagues, and I turn to great rabbis and poskim for questions that come my way that are of a more complicated nature – for which I need guidance. This is not the forum for me to justify these to those who think otherwise. I am certainly available to engage in a dialogue of this nature by email, and would welcome such an opportunity.
• There are times when a news item addresses the practice of bris milah – such as the proposed ban in San Francisco of Summer 2011, stories that come out of Israel, or the Metzitzah story that came out of NY in March 2012. I may report these objectively, or I may offer my own commentary. Of course, in doing so I am offering my opinion. Comments are welcome on the stories, of course, and I am happy to answer direct questions. But I can no longer respond to Anonymous postings in the blog – sometimes the blog back-and-forth give-and-take does not lend itself to the same kind of response that can come in email format, when I can actually talk to the person addressing me instead of at the person.

I am really not interested in having every conversation in which I engage posted on the internet. Email is a much better forum for some discussions - if you would like to engage in conversation (or debate), feel free to email me.

If a reader would like a different perspective to be voiced here, feel free to write an essay, email it to me, and I will be happy to post your opinion under your name.

Looking forward to future dialogues.