A British rabbi was arrested and charged for allegedly performing an illegal circumcision on non-Jewish children on Tuesday, according to the Irish Court Service, and Irish and British Jewish authorities. 

London-based Rabbi Jonathan Abraham had traveled to Ireland at the request of local families, according to the Initiation Society of which he was a member. Abraham performed circumcisions on people who were not members of the Irish Jewish community, according to Irish Chief Rabbi Yoni Wieder, and local Jews were not directly involved in the case.

Abraham was charged with performing illegal circumcisions without a medical license, in violation of the 2007 Medical Practitioners Act, said the Irish courts. He appeared before the Dublin District Court on Thursday and was remanded to custody until another court appearance on August 6.

Defending the rabbi

The Initiation Society, which was founded in the United Kingdom in 1745 to train and regulate mohalim (people performing circumcision according to Jewish law), said it had no reason to believe that the “well-regarded and highly experienced” Abraham acted unlawfully, adding that there was no indication that the circumcisions were performed incorrectly.
A man prepares the items needed for a circumcision. (credit: REUTERS)
A man prepares the items needed for a circumcision. (credit: REUTERS)
“It is commonplace for mohalim to be asked by people outside the Jewish community, both within this country and abroad, to perform circumcision,” said the society. Abraham “traveled to the Republic of Ireland in good faith in response to requests by the families concerned.”
Wieder said the Irish Jewish community conducted all circumcisions in full compliance with Irish Law. In a joint statement with Jewish Representative Council of Ireland chair Maurice Cohen, he said they have been “on top of this situation from the outset.”
“We and other relevant parties are doing everything we can for this man’s welfare and to ensure that traditional Jewish circumcisions can continue to be performed legally in Ireland,” said Wieder and Cohen.
Wieder cautioned against the spread of misinformation and speculation concerning the incident.