THE MOHEL IS DEAD. LONG LIVE THE MOHEL: Rabbi Shepsel Roberts, for decades the Minneapolis area's foremost mohel (performer of the Jewish ritual circumcision, or bris), died Wednesday at the age of 89. While Roberts did not perform my bris, he served that function for literally tens of thousands of young Jewish boys in Minnesota and elsewhere in the Upper Midwest over the course of more than half a century.
A few interesting things about the Star Tribune obituary: the headline writer, apparently unaware that Jewish clergy are known by the title "Rabbi," mistakenly refers to the lifelong Orthodox Jew and Torah Academy founder as "The Rev. Roberts." The obit also quotes a longtime associate of Roberts' with the somewhat unfortunate name, considering the circumstances, of Irving Kutoff.
And finally, on the hilarious Professor Quotes blog, a quote was submitted today that's attributed to a Clemson University physics professor named (no joke) Prof. Moyle: "If you don't convert Celsius to Kelvins on the exam," he says, "I will cut your nuts off!"
So much for brit milah...