German Prosecutor Drops All Charges Against Mohel
Image by Getty Images
A German prosecutor has dropped all charges against a rabbi for his role as a circumciser.
A statement by the Hof prosecutor on Feb. 21 said that Rabbi David Goldberg of Hof satisfied all requirements regarding child welfare “which are not jeopardized by the circumcision,” the Jewish German publication Jüdische Allgemeine reported. “Circumcisions which are applied with the consent of parents or custodians are not subject to criminal liability,” the prosecutor added.
Charges had been brought against Goldberg last year after a court in Cologne ruled that circumcision was illegal in Germany. Goldberg, who has been working as a mohel in Germany since 1997, said he was very pleased the case was now closed and there was clarity on the issue.
“I never had any doubts, I still performed circumcisions,” he said. “But I think this is very good news for parents who did have doubts, and for the entire Jewish community.”
The German parliament has since passed a new law allowing circumcision, with some restrictions.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
