Relying on the ruling of a Cologne court against bris milah is the basis for a lawsuit filed against Rabbi Dovid Goldberg, for performing the religious ceremony on a child.

While government officials in Germany promised to act to protect religious freedom, this has yet to occur and in the interim, a lawsuit was filed against the rav/mohel, 64-year-old Rabbi Goldberg from Israel, who has been serving as the mohel and chief rabbi in the city of Hof Saale in Bavaria since 1997. No less serious is the fact that Rabbi Goldberg faces criminal charges of “bodily harm” based on the Cologne ruling.

The lawsuit was filed by a physician from the city of Hessen, with German media reports explaining that the doctor who filed the suit was among the signatories of a letter sent to German Chancellor Angela Merkel in which they pointed out religious freedom should not permit “harming the helpless”, referring to bris milah.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger has traveled to Germany in the hope of working with officials towards finding an acceptable solution. The chief rabbi held a press conference, during which he called to open a school in Berlin to certify mohelim, explaining Jewish mohelim would undergo training by German physicians as part of the certification process. The trainees would also be instructed by mohelim and rabbonim, and they would be certified by rabbonim in Germany and/or the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

Rabbi Metzger is trying to explain the process and show the infant is not harmed as alleged. Rabbi Metzger explained there is no room to consider changing or modifying milah in anyway, for doing so would be tantamount to “changing our religion and this would be like asking a priest to stop celebrating Christmas”.

“There is not a Jewish child who is traumatized because of his bris milah and I am unaware of any deaths as a result of milah” he added.

Rabbi Metzger pointed out that in the past, milah was banned in the Soviet Union and he expects Germany not to act as a communist nation. “It is unacceptable for German citizens to hear they must go to Poland to perform a religious ritual. I am certain that we can reach an understanding.”

The Rabbinical Centre of Europe released a statement that local businessmen are committed to covering Rabbi Goldberg’s legal expenses, aware of the significance of this case.

“Since learning of the intention to charge Rabbi David Goldberg from Hof Saale in Bavaria due to circumcisions he performs across Germany the Rabbinical Centre of Europe has mobilized Europeans to support Rabbi Goldberg.

“The RCE, an organization representing over 700 Orthodox rabbis from across the continent, said that the number of responses from business executives, Jewish and non-Jewish, who said they will assist in the funding of all necessary legal costs has been overwhelming.

“Rabbi Aryeh Goldberg, Deputy Director of the RCE, explained that ‘the Jews in Europe feel that this is an struggle against Judaism, on the one hand it makes them angry, and on the other it creates a great deal of sympathy and solidarity in the non-Jewish population.’ Goldberg added that ‘This morning we spoke with David and we understood from him that he has yet to receive any notice from the court, and learned about the claim only from media reports and inquiries. Once receives notice from the court we will ensure that he receives the highest levels of legal representation thanks to several European businessmen who announced that they will donate any funds necessary.’”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)