# Question about a mohel

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-a-mohel/79553>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 3, 2001, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-a-mohel/79553 "2001-09-03T18:46:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bashere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bashere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bashere)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-a-mohel/79553/1 "2001-09-03T18:46:30Z")

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Will a mohel perform a circumcision on a gentile? We are a non-jewish family, and would, for reasons too long to explain, rather have a mohel perform the circumcision than the ob/gyn. Is this forbidden by jewish law, or can I just start looking under M in the yellow pages?

I understand that the Brit Mila is a sacred ceremony, and apologize if this question can be viewed as offensive. Oh, and please don’t turn this into a circumcision debate…

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**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-a-mohel/79553/2 "2001-09-03T23:05:01Z")

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I’m not offended, just puzzled. However, I’m not one to make a mountain out of a mohel.

–Nott

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**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-a-mohel/79553/3 "2001-09-03T23:16:43Z")

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You could get both. Many reform and conservative mohels are also MDs. There’s a guy in Los Angeles who got his MD but only practices as a mohel. He’s in it for the money so he’d probably do it. I doubt that you could get an Othodox mohel to do it for you but it doesn’t hurt to ask. Look in the phone book for Chabad or Young Israel.

Haj

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-a-mohel/79553/4 "2001-09-04T04:48:54Z")

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Apparently, its not wrong to circumcise a gentile.

Its a loosely guarded secret that Queen Mary used a Mohel to circumcise Prince Charles.

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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-a-mohel/79553/5 "2001-09-04T13:05:05Z")

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Bash, you might try looking up a Reform or Conservative synagogue in your area and calling them, to ask. There is a difference between the religious ceremony brit milah, and the physical circumcision – the physical circumcision is one part of the ceremony, which involves prayer, wine, and a few other symbolisms/rituals (an empty chair for Elijah the Prophet, for instance.) I suspect that a mohel will have no problem performing the physical ceremony of circumcision for a non-Jew, but would not have the religious ceremony.

My cousin is an MD (pediatrics) who took training to become a mohel (Reform); I’m sure he would be glad to do non-Jewish (non-ritual) circumcisions.