What Is a Mohel:

A mohel does not have to be a Rabbi, nor does he have to be a Cantor. The qualifications of a mohel may be summed up in the following three prerequisites:

1. A mohel must be an expert in the various surgical aspects of the bris . He has been fully trained to carry out the procedure with utmost safety, while affording the least pain and discomfort for the newborn child. The mohel has been trained by, and has served as an apprentice to his teacher, or teachers, who are also mohalim.
2. A mohel must be fluent in the latest standards of aseptic technique, using the same methods for the sterilization of his instruments as are used in hospitals and in physicians' offices. Drapes and gloves must also be applied and worn in the proper manner.
3. A mohel must be well versed in the many Jewish laws and traditions pertaining to the bris ceremony. He becomes proficient in these laws through the intense study of the written and oral Torah law under the guidance of senior mohalim and leading Rabbis.