The Female Mohel: Jewish Women as Mohalot

One of the many recent changes in the Jewish world is the increasing involvement by Jewish women as religious functionaries, or, in Hebrew, “Klei Kodesh,” instruments of holiness. 

This includes becoming mohalot (ritual circumcisors) with the ability to perform a mitzvah that, although Zipporah did it in the book of  Exodus, traditionally has not been done by women until the last two generations. 

When the Rabbinical Assembly and the Jewish Theological Seminary started the Brit Kodesh program to train physicians to be mohelim in 1989, the program included women students. I helped teach in the program and became the only non-physician awarded a certificate.  

Subsequent training sessions have all included a number of women. 

Many mothers appreciate the extra emotional support and “TLC” that a female mohel often provides, and it has been my privilege to train a number of mohalot over the last twenty years. 

In 2020, a writer for the New York Times contacted me for background information on brit milah for an article she was writing on mohalot. That  article ended up featuring two women, both of whom I had trained, and who had become highly successful in the New York City area. 

As with all my students, I remain available for questions and sharing experiences. 

Although the Orthodox world will not generally accept mohalot, they are a relatively small segment of the American Jewish community. The need today is for mohelim/mohalot to provide an inclusive and participatory service that ensures the meaningfulness of the mitzvah of brit milah to the family and friends and to ensure the future of this precious mitzvah for generations to come.