How to Choose a Mohel: 10 Things Parents Should Look for Before a Bris

Choosing a mohel is one of the first important decisions parents make for their newborn son.

For many families, the search begins simply enough. You ask friends or your rabbi for recommendations, search online for a mohel in New Jersey, read some reviews, and start making phone calls.

But how do you actually compare one mohel to another?

A Bris Milah is a deeply meaningful Jewish milestone, but it also involves entrusting someone with your newborn baby. The person you choose should bring together experience, technical skill, sensitivity, and the ability to make you feel that both you and your baby are genuinely being cared for.

Having performed bris ceremonies or circumcisions for more than 15 years, I've learned that parents aren't only looking for someone capable of performing the procedure. They want to know that their baby is in excellent hands—and that they will have someone to turn to before, during, and after the bris.

Here are some of the things I believe every parent should consider when choosing a mohel.

1. Look Beyond the Number of Years: Ask About Training and Experience

Experience matters tremendously when choosing a mohel, but years alone don't tell the entire story.

Ask where the mohel trained, how extensive that training was, and how frequently he actually performs newborn circumcisions.

Circumcision is a very specific skill. Performing it repeatedly over many years develops something that can't be learned from a textbook alone: judgment.

Every baby is a little different. An experienced mohel learns to recognize variations in anatomy, determine the appropriate approach, anticipate potential issues, and know when something warrants additional evaluation before proceeding.

My own training began at the London School of Circumcision, followed by more than three years of advanced hands-on apprenticeship in Israel. I subsequently practiced for many years in Israel before moving to the United States and have now been performing brissim and newborn circumcisions for more than 15 years.

My primary mentor was Rabbi Aharon Greentzveig z”l, a highly respected and extraordinarily experienced mohel who served for decades at the Telzstone Convalescent Home for Mother and Baby.

That combination of formal training, apprenticeship, and years of real-world experience shaped the way I approach every bris today: carefully, confidently, and with tremendous attention to detail.

2. Ask Exactly How the Circumcision Is Performed

Not every mohel uses the same technique.

Parents will hear terms such as Mogen, Gomco, Plastibell, clamp, and shield, and it isn't always obvious what the differences mean.

Don't be afraid to ask.

What instrument does the mohel use? Does it clamp or crush tissue? How long does the actual procedure take? How does he protect the glans? Is anything left attached to the baby afterward?

I personally use a Mogen shield rather than a Mogen clamp.

The distinction is important. The shield protects the glans while allowing the foreskin to be removed quickly and precisely. Unlike a clamp, it does not require crushing or prolonged compression of the foreskin, and no device remains attached to the baby afterward.

In experienced hands, the actual procedure is extremely quick—typically under 30 seconds.

My goal isn't speed for its own sake. Precision always comes first. But when a procedure can be performed carefully with minimal manipulation and very little time spent handling sensitive tissue, I believe that matters for the baby's experience.

Cosmetic outcome matters as well. Circumcision is permanent, and a mohel should be thinking not only about the immediate procedure but about how the circumcision will look and heal.

Parents who want a deeper explanation of the different techniques can also read my guide to choosing the safest circumcision method for babies.

3. Pain Management Should Be Part of the Conversation

One of the most common questions parents ask is:

“How much is this going to hurt my baby?”

It's a completely reasonable question, and parents deserve a real answer.

The fact that a bris is a traditional procedure doesn't mean that the baby's comfort should be ignored.

Ask your mohel what he does to minimize discomfort—not only during the circumcision itself, but immediately afterward as well.

My approach combines an extremely quick procedure with comfort and pain-management measures. I use sugar water as a soothing measure and apply a liquid anesthetic in the bandage immediately following the bris. A topical anesthetic before the procedure is also available upon request.

I pay close attention to how the baby is responding throughout the process.

One of the things parents are often surprised by is how quickly their baby settles afterward. In many cases, babies are calm shortly after the bris and remain comfortable throughout the day.

No responsible practitioner should promise that a circumcision is completely painless. But minimizing unnecessary discomfort should absolutely be part of the plan.

4. Choose a Mohel Who Takes Care of the Parents, Too

This is something that doesn't get discussed enough.

The baby isn't the only person who needs care on the day of a bris.

Parents—particularly first-time parents—may be nervous. You're exhausted, you're caring for a newborn, you're preparing for a significant family event, and somewhere in the middle of all that, someone is going to perform a procedure on your eight-day-old baby.

You should feel comfortable asking questions.

You should understand what's going to happen.

And you should never feel as though you're bothering your mohel.

I consider taking care of the parents to be an important part of my job.

From our first conversation, I want you to know what to expect. I'll answer your questions, explain the procedure, tell you what you'll need, and walk you through the healing process afterward.

Some families have very few questions. Others have many.

Both are perfectly fine.

You should feel that you have your mohel for as long as you need him.

5. Don't Overlook Aftercare

When parents are choosing a mohel, almost all of their attention naturally goes toward the bris itself.

But there's another moment I think parents should consider:

What happens that night when everyone has gone home?

You change your baby's diaper. You look at the circumcision. Something looks different from what you expected.

Who do you call?

Good aftercare is an important part of choosing a mohel.

After every bris, I provide thorough instructions explaining how to care for the circumcision, what normal healing looks like, what you may see during diaper changes, and what would warrant contacting me.

Most parents never need to call with a concern.

But I want them to know that they can.

If something doesn't look right to you, send me a message. If you're unsure whether what you're seeing is normal, ask. I'm generally available even late at night, and I continue following the baby's healing after the bris.

There is tremendous peace of mind in knowing that you're not left on your own once the ceremony is over.

The procedure may take seconds. My care doesn't.

6. Ask What You Actually Need to Prepare

A bris shouldn't require new parents to spend the baby's first week tracking down a long list of specialized supplies.

Ask your mohel beforehand what he provides and what you are expected to have available.

I bring essentially all of the procedural supplies needed for the bris myself. Parents receive straightforward instructions beforehand about the few things they should have ready.

My goal is to make the process as simple as possible.

You've just had a baby.

You have enough to think about.

7. Read Reviews for Patterns, Not Just Stars

Online reviews can be extremely useful when choosing a mohel—but don't just look at whether someone has five stars.

Read what parents actually say.

Look for patterns.

Do families repeatedly mention that the mohel was calm?

That he answered their questions?

That they felt comfortable handing him their baby?

That the procedure was quick?

That their baby settled easily afterward?

That the healing went smoothly?

That he remained available afterward?

Those recurring details tell you far more than the star rating alone.

Medical professionals can offer another valuable perspective. A physician or nurse watching a bris may notice details about organization, technique, efficiency, and follow-up that another observer might not.

I'm particularly grateful that physicians who have watched my work—and doctors who have trusted me with their own children and grandchildren—have commented on my technique, attention to detail, professionalism, and follow-up care.

Those are precisely the qualities I try to bring to every family.

8. The Mohel Should Know When Not to Perform the Bris

Experience isn't only about knowing how to perform a circumcision.

It's also about knowing when not to.

There are medical and anatomical circumstances in which a bris should be delayed or additional evaluation may be appropriate.

A good mohel should evaluate the baby beforehand, review relevant health information, and be willing to say, “We're not doing this today,” if there is a legitimate concern.

Parents should never feel that the event has to proceed simply because the guests have arrived and the bagels are waiting.

Your baby's wellbeing comes first.

9. Consider the Entire Bris Experience

Technical skill is critical, but a Bris Milah is more than a surgical procedure.

It's one of the defining moments in the life of a Jewish family.

The atmosphere matters.

The ceremony should feel meaningful rather than clinical. At the same time, the medical aspects should be approached seriously and professionally.

A good mohel should be able to move comfortably between both worlds: respecting the halachic and spiritual significance of Bris Milah while maintaining meticulous standards for the procedure itself.

Different families also come to a bris with different levels of familiarity with Jewish tradition.

Some know exactly what they want.

Others have never attended a bris before.

Some families include relatives and guests from very different Jewish backgrounds.

A mohel should be able to meet the family where they are and help create a bris that feels comfortable, dignified, and meaningful.

10. Don't Choose a Mohel Based on Price Alone

It's reasonable to ask what a mohel charges.

But price probably shouldn't be the first—or only—factor in deciding who will perform your son's bris.

You're choosing someone for a highly specialized procedure on your newborn baby.

Compare experience.

Compare training.

Compare technique.

Ask about pain management.

Ask about aftercare.

Read the reviews.

Speak to the mohel yourself.

Then ask yourself the most important question:

Do I feel comfortable placing my baby in this person's hands?

If the answer isn't yes, keep looking.

Choosing a Mohel in New Jersey

Families looking for a mohel in New Jersey have many factors to consider, and there isn't one characteristic that should make th

e decision for you.

Look for the combination.

Experience and surgical skill.

A technique you understand and feel comfortable with.

Thoughtful pain management.

Clear communication.

Thorough aftercare.

Availability when you need it.

And, perhaps most importantly, someone who makes you feel that your baby isn't simply the next appointment on the schedule.

I am based in New Jersey and regularly perform brissim throughout the state, including the Lakewood/Jackson area, Bergen County, Passaic, Teaneck and surrounding communities. I also regularly travel to families throughout New York and Pennsylvania, as well as Connecticut and Delaware.

I began my training at the London School of Circumcision, continued with more than three years of intensive apprenticeship in Israel, and have spent more than 15 years performing brissim and newborn circumcisions.

But credentials only tell part of the story.

The experience I want every family to have is simple:

Your baby is taken care of. You are taken care of. And you never have to wonder whether you can reach me.

If you're expecting a baby boy and are beginning to choose a mohel, you're welcome to reach out before the baby is born. I'm happy to answer your questions, explain my approach, and help you understand what to expect—whether you ultimately choose me or simply want to become better informed before making your decision.