The Search for the Right Mohel

There are many fine mohels in the world. When looking for the one who meets your needs, the questions you should be asking include:

Personality
Can he relate to the way I practice Judaism?
Does he have a good bedside manner?
Will he treat me like a mentsch?
Will he view my baby as I do? Or is my baby "just another feather in the cap?"

Does he have patience?

Does he give me the time of day when I have questions related to the bris that need to be discussed?

Practitioner

Is he an excellent practitioner?

Will the cosmetic results be to my liking?

Do his standards of hygiene and sterility match my sensibilities?

Does he pay attention to detail?

Does he explain things clearly?

Is the baby ever in danger?

What is his track record as far as emergencies and post-op situations?

Does he check the baby after the bris?

Is he in contact to see how the baby is doing a few days along the healing process?

Jewish Law?

Is he familiar with all aspects of Jewish law related to the bris?

Is he familiar with the customs of different Jewish traditions - European, Middle Eastern, North African, etc?

Is he flexible in terms of some of the customs, as they relate to my family situation?

What is his method of circumcision?

Does he use a clamp or the "Jewish shield" to isolate the foreskin?

How does he do metzitzah?

Good luck with your baby! I hope all goes well and your experience is a positively memorable one!

Email me: avbillet@gmail.com or call

A Traveling Mohel That's Right For You

I met with a woman today who relayed to me an awful experience the son of a friend had in his bris. They brought in a "highly recommended mohel" who, in a manner I think I understand and can explain, amputated either the baby's glans or the tip of his glans. I don't know the rest of the story. I only hope the baby was able to have emergency surgery to correct the new problem he is faced with in life.

Stories like this make me wish mohels like that would be either prosecuted, ostracized, or should at least never work again. It is only arrogance of the highest order (important part is halfway down in the link) which makes some mohels think they need not take necessary precautions to protect the safety of the babies on whom they operate, and attempt to give them the mark of the covenant.

This traveling mohel has an excellent track record, because this traveling mohel takes important precautions to make sure the bris comes out as perfect as possible, every time.

* All materials - bandages and surgical instruments - are brought to the bris packaged and freshly sterilized.
* Gloves are worn every time the baby's open wound is touched.
* A surgical marker is used to pinpoint the exact extremities of the foreskin.
* Irreversible clamps are not used, and safety devices are used (as opposed to old-school free-hand) to unequivocally avoid problematic outcomes such as the one described at the beginning of this posting.
* I check, double check and triple check that the bris looks as perfect as possible before I close his diaper and return him to his parents. In the event the baby, anatomically or through the process of the circumcision, needs an adjustment or touch up, it will be taken care of right away so there will never be a reason to revisit the circumcision.

When you look for a traveling mohel, you want to get a traveling mohel who comes, does the job right the first time, and leaves your baby more than well on his way to a full recovery. With no complications. And with doctors singing the praise of a job well done.

A traveling mohel who will give this to you authors this website. Contact me via email at avbillet@gmail.com

Making Your Bris Easy and Meaningful

When you live in a place without a local mohel (or in a place where you don't want to use the local mohel), it can be hard, or at least difficult, to find someone who will travel. And who will give you the time of day in doing so.

So you've stumbled across Traveling Mohel. First I will tell you how I will make your bris process easier and meaningful. Then I will tell you about my experiences and why you can be happy with your choice of mohel.

Making Your Bris Process Easier

Here are the things we need to do when we touch base and confirm I will be the mohel.

1. Decide when your bris will take place. This will help determine the travel plans I will make.

If your bris will take place relatively early in the morning, I will have to come the night before.
If your bris will take place late morning or early afternoon, I can fly early in the morning.

2. I will send you an email with all the information you need (or you can access it all here and here )

3. Either you or I will book my flight - I will be in your neighborhood for enough time to do the bris and to check your son's circumcision a few hours later.

4. We will schedule and have a conversation over the phone to assure the bris ceremony will be set up to your liking. Your needs and the needs of your guests will be addressed and I will do my best to make sure you are comfortable with how things will pan out.

5. I promise to give you all the time you need before and after the bris; aside from the conversation (#4), we can either communicate by phone or email to address the details and logistics.

6. It is very important to me that you have the least amount of worry in dealing with your son's care after the bris. After I check your son's progress, he will be left without a bandage, already in the post-raw healing stage.

7. Before I leave, I will review with you what you need to do to properly care for your son. Though I will be sure to go over everything face to face, instructions can be found here in case you need a quick reminder and I am not immediately available to answer the phone.

Making Your Bris Meaningful

1. Our conversation (#4 above) will help me understand your pressing needs and what kind of ceremony will best fit you and the way you experience Judaism.

2. I will do my best to accomodate your particular situation and desire to have different family members involved in the ceremony.

3. I will answer all questions, raise important thoughts to consider, and try my best to make sure you and I are on the same page insofar as what will physically happen to your baby, the religious significance (if that is important to you), and the possible emotional whirlwinds I have seen people experience.

MY EXPERIENCES TRAVELING

I have traveled across the United States to do brisses. Through my travels I have developed an excellent system for giving babies the proper care with appropriate follow-up in a relatively short time.

I am efficient to a fault:
* We start on time
* I give the ceremony and the procedure the time it needs, but I do not belabor the point or draw things out unnecessarily
* The actual circumcision takes a few seconds
* There are no shortcuts - I do not use a clamp. This is a completely kosher, halakhic bris
* Afterwards I double check that the circumcision is perfect, and bandage in such a way that the bandaging will come off easily when I check him later, with minimal, if not zero bleeding.

To toot a small horn, a horn for which I continue to be grateful to God for helping me achieve, parents are consistently telling me afterwards things like "it looks great," "it is healing very quickly," "it is healing very nicely," "the doctor said this was [one of] the finest brisses s/he has seen."

Email me at avbillet@gmail.com. Call and interview me.

Hopefully we will make the bris the experience you want it to be.