A Circumcision for Conversion

Here I explain my personal philosophy regarding my role as mohel for conversions and an alternative those looking for my services might want to consider. Here is my previous post on this subject - along with earlier links to related topics

I get calls and emails from people across the spectrum of Judaism: Orthodox Jews, Conservative Jews, Reform Jews, unaffiliated Jews, Jews by birth, Jews by choice, "Messianic Jews." I also get calls from those who identify themselves as "non-Jews."

While I am not picky about my clientele per se, I do try to distinguish between "circumcision services" and "bris services." While both obviously include a circumcision, the former is without a ceremony and without blessings. It is not meant to serve as a fulfillment of the Jewish "bris" and it is typically requested by those who are not Jewish.

The "bris services" are for Jewish babies, born of Jewish mothers, who are Jewish either through matrilineal descent - a line of Jewish mother after Jewish mother - or through a conversion I might have officiated over myself, were I in the business.

Due to the unfortunate reality of the manifold kinds of conversions out there, some of which do not demand very much from the converts in question, I try to shy away from them. Rarely do I perform circumcisions for the sake of conversion, and I have difficulty providing a "bris" for those mothers whose conversions I cannot personally qualify - simply because I do not have enough information about the process, the rabbi, the bet din, the method, etc.