There has been debate in the
Jewish community since the time of the Egyptian enslavement as to whether or
not a woman can perform a brit milah
(ritual circumcision). Most opinions believe that they can. In recent years,
women have embraced the ability to perform the brit milah ceremony and become mohelot
(female circumcisers). One such woman is Stacy Rubtchinsky,
a Massachusetts
mohelet who I had the honor of
interviewing
Did you aspire to be a doctor
when you were a child, or did you fall into it?
I have wanted to be a doctor
since I was a young child. Then, I went to college and did not like chemistry
and did not like the competition in the pre-med classes, so I stopped being
pre-med and instead studied linguistics and cognitive sciences. I learned a lot
of different languages and loved my studies. When I graduated, I taught
elementary school for two years and during that time, I remembered my passion
for medicine and so, I went back to school to finish those dreaded pre-med courses
and went to medical school.
Why did you become a mohelet?
Being a mohelet is a
perfect fit for me. I love being a doctor and have the skills to perform safe,
quick circumcisions. I also love being Jewish and practicing the rituals and
traditions associated with our religion. On top of that, I love being an
educator. When I go into families homes, I am a Jewish ambassador who has the
opportunity to teach them about the beauty of this ritual into their lives
Does your family - parents,
husband, children - support you?
My parents and husband and four
children all love that I am a mohelet!
Do you find that being female
adds or detracts from your role as mohelet?
I find that the families who call
me are not looking for the stereotypical Orthodox mohel. They are
looking for a modern, traditional, spiritual, painless ceremony and
circumcision and that is what I can bring them. I think that being a
female adds to the spirituality and warmth of the ceremony. I think that being
a mother also adds to my credibility (I hear “If you could circumcise your
own twin boys, then I trust you to circumcise my son” all the time).
Do you have an opinion on how
girls should be welcomed in the Jewish community in a celebration parallel to a
brit milah?
Absolutely! I have two
daughters and had beautiful ceremonies for each of them. I chose to have their
ceremonies at Havdalah (the ceremonial separation between Sabbath and weekday), since it is a time of transition and
rebirth of the week, just as a new soul in our world is a time of rebirth. The
ceremonies are a time for a community to come together and welcome a child and
express it’s hopes and dreams for the baby's future. It is a wonderful time of
celebration!
What advice would you give to
other women who want to follow your lead and pursue a position as mohelet?
My advice to anyone who wants to
be a mohelet is to go to a lot of britot and learn what you would
want if the ceremony were your own. Then study with your rabbi/cantor/educator
and learn the halakha (Jewish law) behind brit milah. Most
importantly, though, during the process of training and thereafter remember why
you pursued this wondrous journey. If you do that, you will always hold on to
the passion that brought you to your dream!
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