Not every ritual circumciser, or moyl in Yiddish, starts out dreaming of performing brises all week. David Bolnick, a mohel living in the Seattle area, worked at Microsoft for many years before he quit to become a full time bris-giver. In the documentary Moyl, you can watch as Bolnick goes about his business—bringing new baby boys into the covenant of Judaism.
Bolnick is unusually open and candid about his job in the documentary. He displays his circumcision tools on his mantle, and happily explains how they work to the cameras. He councils new parents about what to expect, and checks in on babies a few days after the bris to make sure they’re feeling well. The movie has a long section about bris jokes—everyone knows at least one, Bolnick says. The moyl even gets called on to travel up to Juneau, Alaska to perform a circumcision—neither wind, nor sleet, nor rain nor huge expanse of land will keep this dedicated circumciser from doing his job.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to spend your days meeting babies, making a little snip, and then giving them their names…this movie is for you.
___
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
