The Jerusalem Post recently published an article about a “barber-led” circumcision gone wrong. It’s a horrifying tale of how an untrained individual in India amputated a toddler’s genitalia, only to end with the medical achievement of its successful reattachment. If this were where the coverage ended, then there is inherent value in the story. But the article goes on to claim that just as India needs more oversight in circumcision, so does the greater Jewish community. 

Although the Jerusalem Post may have intended to initiate dialogue on the topic, the comparison ignores how distinct these practices are. The key difference is evidenced in the headline itself which describes the incident as a “barber-led circumcision.” Barber circumcisions are vastly dissimilar to what mohalim do and are much more akin to the practices in parts of Africa. Every year, young boys die from village initiations. The procedures are carried out in rural areas with little to no hygienic standards. Some tribes even require the teenager who’s coming of age to be covered from head to toe in mud. Members of the community........

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