Brit Milah & Conversion: What Male Converts Should Know

The Covenant of Circumcision for Male Converts

By Anita Diamant — adapted for a Messianic readership

Despite the pain and risk adult circumcision once carried before anesthetics and antiseptic practice, men in every generation have submitted to brit milah to join the people of Israel. Today, Orthodox and Conservative Judaism require circumcision or its ritual reenactment (hatafat dam brit). Since 1892, the Reform movement has accepted converts without milah or mikveh, citing the absence of an explicit biblical conversion law and minority Talmudic opinions; nevertheless, many Reform and Reconstructionist rabbis now counsel these rituals, so candidates should consult their rabbi.

Can an Uncircumcised Man Be a Jew?

Given the centrality of brit milah, the notion can feel paradoxical. Yet some argue—as with uncircumcised Russian-born Jews reclaiming their birthright in the U.S. or Israel—that uncircumcised converts may be regarded as Jews in need of circumcision, but Jews nonetheless.

Hatafat Dam Brit — Reenacting the Ritual

In the 20th century, routine medical circumcision meant many American men were already circumcised, yet medical circumcision is not the same as brit milah. The covenant requires intent and ritual. Therefore, Jewish law directs circumcised converts to undergo hatafat dam brit (“a drop of covenant blood”).

The ritual draws a single drop of blood from the corona surrounding the glans. The practitioner swabs with alcohol and pricks the skin with a sterile lancet or hypodermic needle, collecting the blood on gauze, which may be shown to three witnesses. It is often scheduled shortly before mikveh and typically arranged by the supervising rabbi. The convert does not fully disrobe; there is no cutting, suturing, or ongoing bleeding, and the procedure lasts moments.

Who performs it? A mohel (ritual circumciser) trained in both liturgy and surgical procedure typically performs hatafat dam brit. Since the 1980s, Reform and Conservative bodies have also certified licensed physicians as mohelim for liberal communities.

Does it hurt? Many describe it as momentary; some find the alcohol wipe more irritating than the prick. Physicians sometimes prescribe a topical anesthetic applied in advance. Converts commonly report that the ritual’s meaning far outweighs the brief discomfort.

Liturgy: There is no fixed liturgy. Some mohelim recite a blessing before drawing blood; afterward, the group may share a blessing over wine. Many rabbis now add brief, meaningful prayers or a short ceremony to honor the moment.

Brit Milah — Adult Circumcision for Conversion

The requirement has surely limited Judaism’s appeal, given the understandable anxiety surrounding surgery. Modern medicine, however, minimizes pain and risk, and urologists or general surgeons routinely perform circumcisions for medical reasons.

Who should perform it? Only an experienced urologist or general surgeon should undertake adult circumcision. Some Conservative and Reform–certified mohelim are also surgeons. A Jewish surgeon who is not a mohel may perform a kosher brit by saying the blessing before the first incision. If the surgeon is not Jewish, a mohel (or any Jew) may recite the blessing; alternatively, a medical circumcision can be followed later by hatafat dam brit. Your rabbi can help you plan a fully kosher pathway.

What to expect: Adult circumcision is an outpatient procedure, typically ~30 minutes. Local, spinal, or general anesthesia may be used based on patient need. Many return to work the next day with a mild analgesic. Dissolvable sutures are standard; a two-week follow-up checks healing. Expect swelling or discoloration for one to two weeks. Intercourse is generally avoided for three to four weeks. Complications are rare and usually minor.

Ritual requirements: For a convert’s brit, the surgeon/mohel recites the blessing for the circumcision of converts before the incision. A beit din (court of three) must witness a drop of blood from the incision.

Movement Positions (At a Glance)

• Orthodox & Conservative: Require circumcision or, if already circumcised, hatafat dam brit for a valid conversion.
• Reform: Officially leaves the choice to the rabbi and candidate, with a strong preference to educate and to encourage milah/mikveh.
• Reconstructionist: Similar to Reform; many rabbis nonetheless require the traditional rites.

Pastoral Notes for Candidates

Anxiety about procedure and privacy is normal. Work closely with your rabbi and a qualified practitioner. Schedule thoughtfully around work and family life. Remember: the covenantal meaning—entering a life with the God of Israel and the people of Israel—stands at the heart of the ritual.

Source & Further Reading

Adapted with permission from Anita Diamant, Choosing a Jewish Life (Schocken). Original article at My Jewish Learning: The Covenant of Circumcision | My Jewish Learning.