The struggle over circumcision in Europe: "They are questioning a fundamental commandment in Judaism"

Against the backdrop of attempts to restrict and even ban the practice of circumcision in European countries, the European Jewish Association and the Rabbinical Centre of Europe are announcing a first-of-its-kind program for the medical and professional certification of Mohels.

The program, the first of its kind outside of Israel, will operate under the supervision of an international network of urologists, pediatricians, doctors, and scientists from medical fields, and will include medical and safety training, practical assessment, and certification of Mohels.

Against the backdrop of repeated attempts to restrict and even ban the practice of circumcision in Belgium and other countries in Europe, the European Jewish Association (EJA) and the Rabbinical Centre of Europe (RCE) announced the establishment of the Centre of Excellence for Religious Male Circumcision (CERM) and the launch of what is considered the first comprehensive program of its kind outside of Israel for the medical and professional certification of qualified Mohels.

The initiative is intended to provide a practical response to the legal and political challenges surrounding circumcision by strengthening medical, safety, and professional standards and placing them under an orderly system of supervision and evaluation.

"An integral part"

European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, Oliver Varhelyi, praised the EJA for its efforts and noted:

"Jewish life and the existence of Jewish religious customs are an integral part of Europe. Our responsibility is to ensure that age-old traditions can continue to exist within a framework that meets the highest standards of child welfare, medical safety, and professional responsibility. The Centre of Excellence for Religious Male Circumcision offers a reliable model that allows for exactly that."

The center, based in Brussels, will provide Mohels who have already been trained and certified with practical assessment and professional certification. The program will operate under the supervision of an international network of urologists, pediatricians, doctors, and scientists from medical fields, with a medical and scientific council responsible for examining and approving clinical protocols, certification exams, and professional standards.

CERM is planned to work in cooperation with health authorities across Europe to establish professional recognition of qualified Mohels as those who have been trained and are suitable for performing religious circumcision, so that the question of their competence will be decided based on strict medical standards and independent professional supervision, and will not repeatedly become a political issue.

The curriculum covers the full range of medical and safety aspects associated with circumcision, including assessment of the newborn's medical condition, hygiene and infection prevention, baby welfare, treatment of bleeding and wounds, identification of complications, response to emergency situations and infant resuscitation, referral for medical care, and follow-up after the circumcision.

The certification process will include practical exams, clinical scenarios simulating field situations, and simulations for emergency situations, with an emphasis on identifying warning signs, knowing the limits of professional authority, and the ability to identify when to postpone the circumcision or seek medical assistance. Circumcision, performed according to tradition on the eighth day of the baby's birth, is one of the most ancient and fundamental commandments in Judaism.

"Circumcision is the heart of Jewish life"

Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of the European Jewish Association and the Rabbinical Centre of Europe, stated:

"Circumcision has been at the heart of Jewish life for thousands of years. In light of the growing challenges to the observance of the commandment, and in particular the attempts to restrict the ability of qualified Mohels to perform it in some European countries, we decided that our response cannot be limited only to defending freedom of religion. We seek to create the best professional framework that will ensure its continued existence. For the first time outside of Israel and on such a scale, qualified Mohels will be able to undergo a comprehensive program that combines medical and safety training, practical assessment, certification, and clear professional standards. We deliberately chose to call it a Centre of Excellence because, when it comes to the well-being and safety of a child, our aspiration can never be satisfied with meeting the minimum threshold. We strive for excellence — and we ask that this excellence be transparent, documented, and provable through independent assessment."

The establishment of the center comes after circumcision has become a focus of legal and political disputes in several countries in Europe in recent years. Belgium has become one of the focal points of the issue, where the status of Mohels who are not doctors is subject to significant legal and political uncertainty, and in other European countries, discussions have been held and attempts have been made to impose restrictions on the practice of circumcision.

For the Jewish communities, this is not just a regulatory issue, but a question concerning the ability to freely practice one of the most ancient and fundamental commandments in Judaism. The center was established as a practical response to these challenges: to strengthen medical safety measures, professional standards, and supervision of circumcision, and at the same time to help ensure the ability of Jewish communities to continue to maintain a fundamental component of Jewish life in Europe.

"Members of our communities asked us for a serious and sustainable response," added Rabbi Margolin. "We listened to them. For the first time outside of Israel and on such a scale, a comprehensive program will be available to qualified Mohels that combines medical and safety training with practical assessment, certification, and clear professional standards."

CERM relies on the existing training and experience of qualified Mohels and adds to them a structured, documented, and uniform medical and professional layer, subject to independent assessment. The center's safety model — "identify, prevent, stop, and refer" — is intended to ensure that Mohels will know how to identify warning signs, prevent risks that can be prevented, act within the limits of their authority, and refer the baby quickly to medical professionals when necessary.

The program is based on accepted medical and scientific guidelines and will be subject to ongoing medical review. The medical staff and advisory council of CERM include experts from Belgium, the UK, Israel, Italy, and Germany, including those with direct experience in the official certification and supervision system for Mohels in Israel.

Among the members of the medical team are Dr. Ces Bar-Moshe, a urologist from Brussels; Dr. Joseph Spitzer, a doctor and veteran Mohel who has served since 2003 as the medical director of The Initiation Society in the UK; and Dr. Michael Ben-Akon, director of the pediatric department at Laniado Hospital in Israel, a qualified Mohel and representative of the Ministry of Health on the inter-ministerial committee responsible for the certification of and supervision over Mohels.

The medical and scientific framework is intended not only to set the standards required at the time of certification, but also to ensure ongoing professional supervision, while updating protocols and assessment requirements in accordance with developments in medical guidelines and professional practice.

In the long term, CERM aims to become a European center of knowledge and authority in the field of religious circumcision, to promote evidence-based medical and professional standards, and to establish ongoing cooperation between Mohels, medical professionals, Jewish communities, policymakers, and public authorities.

"We reject the assumption"

Rabbi Margolin concluded:

"In Europe, it is often presented as if a choice is required between freedom of religion and the well-being of the child. We reject this assumption. There is no contradiction between the two. The higher and more transparent the professional standards surrounding circumcision are, the stronger the justification for protecting the freedom of Jewish families to practice it. Europe cannot claim that it protects Jewish life, and at the same time repeatedly call into question one of the most fundamental commandments in Judaism. CERM offers a practical European response: to protect freedom of religion, to demand excellence, and to make this excellence transparent and proven."