If the profile of John Reardon left you wanting more stories of sweet, fuzzy-faced guys who perform painful and permanent procedures on human skin, NY on the Clock offers you this four-minute piece on Manhattan mohel, Philip Sherman.
Neither blizzards nor blackouts nor bawling babies have kept Sherman from his appointed rounds, and in the 34 years since he received his certification to perform ritual circumcisions, Sherman (who claims to have been Manhattan's only mohel at one time) has performed this most delicate of duties over 20,000 times.
Sherman on his training:
"I located a teacher in Israel who was willing to teach me, and 12 of us came to see what it was about. By the time this meeting was over, there were three of us left standing."
His getaway drivers of choice:
"Often times I'll have one of my kids as my driver so that I don't have to worry about driving. That helps a lot, especially in New York City."
On being a no-tell mohel:
"I usually don't discuss how many bris I do in a week, or my weight, but the most I've done in a day was nine."
Parting words of wisdom:
"I hope God gives me the knowledge to know when to stop."
For more on the charming Cantor Sherman - and a list of helpful suggestions for planning a bris - see Sherman's website.
*So that you don't sound like a shmo, listen up: mohel actually rhymes with 'boil', not 'motel'.
