The European Jewish Association (EJA) and the Rabbinical Centre of Europe (RCE) have inaugurated what is likely the first comprehensive certification program designed specifically for Jewish circumcision practitioners outside Israel. The Centre of Excellence for Religious Male Circumcision (CERM), based in Brussels, aims to address mounting legal and political pressures surrounding the practice of brit milah in several European countries, including Belgium.
CERM offers qualified mohelim—a term for Jewish religious circumcision practitioners—an organized framework for medical and safety training, practical skill assessment, and formal certification. The program is overseen by an international medical and scientific council composed of urologists, pediatricians, physicians, and researchers from Belgium, the United Kingdom, Israel, Italy, and Germany. These experts bring experience from Israel’s established system for certifying mohelim, helping to inform CERM’s clinical protocols and professional standards.
The curriculum encompasses a wide range of medical and safety topics related to the procedure. These include newborn health assessment, infection prevention, infant welfare, bleeding and wound care, recognizing complications, emergency response and infant life support, medical referral processes, and aftercare. By instituting rigorous, transparent standards and independent oversight, the center seeks to foster trust among European health authorities in the competence of qualified mohelim as the best-suited practitioners to carry out religious circumcision safely.
Oliver Varhelyi, European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, praised the initiative, emphasizing the importance of continuing longstanding cultural traditions within frameworks that prioritize child welfare and medical safety. He described CERM’s approach as “a constructive and credible model” aligned with European standards.
Rabbi Menachem Margolin, chairman of both the EJA and RCE, highlighted the program’s broader purpose amid increasing challenges to religious circumcision in Europe. “When it comes to the welfare and safety of a child, our ambition should never simply be to meet a minimum standard. We want excellence—and we want that excellence to be transparent, documented, and capable of being independently demonstrated,” he said.
The launch of CERM comes in the wake of heightened scrutiny and legal action in Belgium. In early 2025, Belgian authorities conducted raids on multiple locations, including sites in Antwerp’s Jewish Quarter, investigating alleged illegal circumcisions. Subsequently, in May, the Antwerp Public Prosecutor’s Office indicted two mohelim on charges of bodily harm with premeditation against minors and practicing medicine without a license. The prosecutor's office stated there was sufficient evidence to bring the case to criminal court, characterizing the acts as intentional assault and unauthorized medical practice.
These developments sparked considerable concern among Jewish communities across Europe and drew attention from Israeli officials. Proponents of CERM view the program as a proactive measure to ensure that religious circumcision can continue safely and legally, balancing religious rights with child protection standards in a complex legal environment.