The Jewish Tribune, UK reports: A North London coroner this week ruled that infant death syndrome was the cause of the petiroh of a baby shortly after his bris two and a half years ago. He cleared a mohel and the Hatzola organisation of any responsibility for the death. The tragedy happened�following the circumcision in Dunstan Road Shul,Golders Green, which had been carried out in a perfect manner by the Mohel. Half an hour later the baby collapsed in its mother�s arms.�Hatzola was called and the baby was taken to the resuscitation department at the Royal Free Hospital and then to University College Hospital.�However, all the efforts of the doctors were in vain and the baby did not recover.

An inquest was ordered and the Initiation Society realised this was a very serious matter and that all efforts must be made to have a strong case to put before the coroner.� Anti-Milah activists were soon mobilised and several national newspapers carried headlines such as �Baby Dies after Circumcision�.�President of the Initiation Society Judge Leonard Gerber also received many communications from the anti-Milah lobby saying that this proved that legislation was necessary to ban Milah in England.�It was thus clear that a strong defence must be prepared to be put before the coroner at the inquest.�Fortunately, Mr Jonathan Goldberg QC agreed to act pro bono as well as the solicitor Mr Ari Kramer.�Mr Gavriel Schleider was the co-ordinating officer of the defence.

The inquest at Hornsey Coroner�s Court this week began with the mohel who gave evidence of performing the Milah in his usual manner with no untoward incident.� Everything went very smoothly and as an experienced Mohel there was nothing to alert him to any danger.� He told the coroner of his general training and how he had been kept up to date with medical developments by the Initiation Society�s regular workshops and seminars.� The coroner was clearly impressed by his sincerity and ability.� Fortunately, among the guests at the bris was Dr Simon Cohen a senior Consultant Physician at University College Hospital and he gave evidence at the court of his efforts to resuscitate the baby which unfortunately were not successful.� The first person to arrive from Hatzola was Mr David Bordon who immediately called a Hatzola ambulance and began to try to clear the baby�s breathing airways without success.� He accompanied the baby and the baby�s father to the Royal Free Hospital.� The Coroner questioned him about the hours he dedicates to Hatzola work and was most impressed by the time the volunteers of Hatzola devote to helping the sick.� Evidence was also given by Professor Peter Fleming, recognized as a leading authority on cot deaths.� Having examined all the evidence he concluded in his report that the death of the baby could be classified as a cot death.� This was accepted by the Coroner in his verdict which was �death due to natural causes�.� No blame whatsoever was to be attributed to the Mohel or to Hatzola.

Following the verdict Judge Gerber commented: �Our sympathy goes out to the parents of the child but fortunately they have had another male child since, who of course has had a successful Milah.

It is to be hoped that after this investigation and verdict the anti-Milah lobby will be silent.� In reality we have to be on guard for the future.� The petirah of this child was a unique occurrence.� The records of the Initiation Society go back for almost a century and there is no mention of a death following Bris Milah.�

(Dina Rosell – Jewish Tribune, London, UK)