Fred R Kogen, MD

Dr. Kogen is most impressive and most professional beyond any bounds of measurements. He is not only an excellent surgeon, but an educator and provides a very professional and entertaining bris. I would recommend him highly. I appreciate the ceremony performed for my grandson Max Joseph. Thank you Dr. Kogen

Dr. Kogen came highly recommended by several family members and my larger community. I still approached the Bris, however with uncertainty and fear; both of which were quickly alleviated when Dr. Kogen arrived on scene. He was focused and determined to have the proper and appropriate set up but quickly became friendly and familiar with me, my husband, my baby and both of our families. He not only excelled in performing the duties and rituals that the ceremony entails, but made it an enjoyable experience for everyone who was there. It was quite a celebration! Dr. Kogen turned the energy in the room into one where everyone could be at ease and enjoy themselves, our new baby and their role in the Bris. One thing I especially appreciated about Dr. Kogen is the way that he made both sides of our family feel comfortable, whether they were from the Jewish tradition or not, he knew how to integrate everyone well and met each person wherever they were at. And that’s another thing, Dr. Kogen met all of our guests. He was present, available and positive. Even more, Dr. Kogen called us several times post-​event to follow up and see how healing was progressing and made himself available for any questions. BRAVO Dr. Kogen and thank you for facilitating this in a way that was so much more enjoyable and fulfilling than I could have ever imagined! Deepest thanks and gratitude.

After thorough research, we chose to use a mohel for our son’s circumcision, rather than have it done in the hospital. Dr. Kogen came highly recommended by our midwife and he did an amazing job with our son Ford’s circumcision. Dr. Kogen made a great effort to make us comfortable and thoroughly explained the procedure. We felt prepared for what to expect and felt confident in the aftercare. The circumcision healed beautifully and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience!

Amazing experience! We had Dr. Kogen perform a non-​ceremonial newborn circumcision for our 7 day old little boy (we are not Jewish). We are first time parents, so we were a little nervous about the whole thing. We had researched the mohel vs. hospital thing well ahead of time and had decided a non-​hospital circ was the way to go for us. If you are looking for the same, I suggest you look no further. This guy is the best! THE BEST! He was so kind, courteous and professional. He walked us through the entire procedure beforehand, gave us very explicit after-​care instructions, and performed an absolute beautiful and precise procedure. One cut, one minute, and the healing and post-​procedure process has been absolutely seamless. The most noticeable takeaway we had from the whole thing is how much Dr. Kogen cares for you and your child. Just in the short time you get to know him, you can immediately tell how well he wants to do by you and your baby. In the end, we can’t imagine doing anything differently. A beautiful and intimate private ceremony with just me and my wife having all the faith in the world that our new little guy was in the best of hands with Dr. Kogen. Again, look no further … this is your guy.

Dr. Kogen performed a circumcision on our newborn son about a week and half ago, and everything looks perfect! We live in San Francisco and are not Jewish, but Dr. Kogen agreed to fly up here and perform the circumcision without any religious ceremony. And because he is a licensed medical doctor he gave an invoice that we can submit to our healthcare insurance for at least partial reimbursement.
This is our second son, and unfortunately we allowed the hospital’s pediatrician to perform the circumcision on our first son. The hospital did a horrible job, it looked like our son was still uncircumcised (even our own pediatrician thought he wasn’t circumcised). We then had to put our poor son through a revision circumcision surgery, which required putting him under general anesthesia and ran the risk of death from the anesthesia because of his young age. Luckily there were no complications, but our son still looks mostly uncircumcised. Needless to say, this time around I wanted to make sure our second son got a proper circumcision.
I did extensive research online to find an experienced, excellent doctor to do the circumcision. Since we live in San Francisco I tried to find someone local. There were some choices here, but none of them wowed me. Then I found Dr. Kogen, who is in Southern California, and he clearly was the best choice in all of California. Having him fly up here made the procedure pricier than if I had just found someone local, but he is worth every penny.
Apart from the fact that Dr. Kogen didn’t restrain our baby or give him any painful shots (he just laid our son on a pillow and gave him some oral pain reliever, along with a topical cream anesthetic), he carefully explained every single step of the procedure before he performed it. He also explained why each step was necessary, why he uses the instruments he does and what they do, and how to care for our son afterwards. The hospital did ZERO explanation with our first son, they just took him away and brought him back when the circumcision was done. And, best of all, we were right next to our son the whole time, and even assisted Dr. Kogen by holding our son still and comforting him during the procedure. And the entire procedure took less than a minute, so there was minimum pain for our son.
It has now been 11 days since the circumcision, and our son is fully healed. He had no problems at all (no bleeding or infections) during the healing time, and his penis looks great right now. He has the perfect circumcised penis. I wish I had known about Dr. Kogen when we had our first son, and if we have any more sons I will call Dr. Kogen again without hesitation and ask him to perform the circumcisions for any and all of our future sons.

About two weeks ago, Dr Kogen performed the Bris for our first grandchild, Wesley. I can truly report after this experience, our entire family would highly recommend Dr Kogen. Whether you are Jewish and desire a traditional religious ceremony performed by an exceptional Mohel; or are considering just a medical circumcision performed by a skilled physician, Dr. Kogen is the one you want to take care of your most precious newborn. Our daughter and her husband had been very concerned about the possible discomfort and the actual procedure involved in circumcising their first child. They had decided that they only wanted a doctor performing the circumcision and that only our immediate family would attend. The baby’s pediatrician, who recommended Dr. Kogen, spoke very highly of his medical skill and his concern for infants he has circumcised. On the hand, as the grandparents we wanted the ceremony to be traditionally religious. Having used a Mohel, that was not a doctor, for our son’s circumcision some 29 years ago, we desired that the officiant who performed the ceremony for our grandson have a devout belief in our covenant with g-​d and that the ceremony would be warm, personal, religious and not just clinical. Well all I can say, after witnessing Dr Kogen in action both as a Mohel and a doctor, is that no one in our family ever should have worried, including our precious baby Wesley. Dr Kogen not only provided us with more than enough written information before the Bris. He spoke with us several time before and after the ceremony answering all the clinical and religious questions we could think of regarding the ceremony and after care; and even made us aware of issues we had not though about. This put our daughter and us at ease before, during, and after the ceremony. Nothing was left to chance. His web site «
» even provided us with ideas to help make the Bris more meaningful and personal. He was so warm and loving to the baby as well as or family before, during and after the Bris that we felt that he was part of our family and took great joy in our joy and in helping us fulfill this important covenant. The ceremony was truly personal and traditional all rites, rituals and prayers meaningfully performed. The actual circumcision was quick and skillfully performed with surgically sterile instruments. The baby had been provided with topical site anesthesia to alleviate discomfort, along with a small amount of traditional wine. Since our son-​in-​law had never been to a Bris before, Dr Kogen took his time to explain everything relating to the religious aspect of the ceremony. After the Bris, Dr. Kogen stayed with the baby and his parents for quite a long time, checking the circumcision several times and monitoring the baby to ensure that he was medically sound. He called later to check on how the baby and his parents were doing. I can tell you from personal experience that I have never witnessed another Mohel acting with such warmth, care and professionalism that Dr Kogen displayed. Even the Mohel that performed my son’s ceremony, and in the day, was the one that everyone used, can not hold a candle to Dr. Kogen. I waited to write this recommendation until the baby was fully healed so I could also report on the results of the medical portion of this ritual. Using the easily understandable oral and written instructions provide by Dr Kogen, Wesley’s circumcision healed beautifully without a problem or complication. Our son having witnesses his nephew Wesley’s circumcision and results, half joking commented that he believes that Dr. Kogen did a better job. He has already decided that when he has a son, that he knows who he is going to call (and it’s not «Ghostbusters»). We are so thankful that Dr. Kogen was our Mohel.

Dr. Kogen performed the bris for both of our sons. He led a ceremony that was by turns funny and incredibly emotional for all who attended. He made sure our sons were comfortable before, during and after the circumcision, and followed up to make sure we had no problems with after care. He did a great job of making all of our guests comfortable with what some consider a confusing and/​or scary procedure. We would recommend him wholeheartedly to anyone who is looking for a warm, humane mohel who is also a skilled doctor.

After doing a LOT of research, I finally found Dr. Kogen, and I’m so glad we decided to have him there with us to perform our son’s bris back in March.
Unlike most reform doctor-​mohels who use anesthetic injections and strap the infants down to a restraint board, essentially performing surgery that takes 10 – 15 minutes beginning to end (often before guests even arrive at the venue for the brit milah ceremony itself), Dr. Kogen applies his medical training to the ancient tradition. His approach involves a little infant tylenol 30 minutes before the procedure, a little topical anesthetic cream for numbing, and a little kosher wine to suck on to calm the baby’s nerves. During the ceremony our son was cradled in my father’s arms, and during the procedure he was placed on a pillow, restrained for no more than a minute by the loving hands of his grandfathers, father, and grandmother. To me, this was the least brutal scenario imaginable, and the one that would cause my son the least physical or emotional trauma.
Dr. Kogen worked with us before the ceremony to make sure we were prepared emotionally and practically, that we understood what to expect the day-​of and in the days that followed, and that we everything on hand we’d need for the procedure and to care for our son as he healed. Dr. Kogen stayed with us during the bris to go over after-​care instructions, and he called several times to follow up over the next two weeks. Our son healed quickly and beautifully – even the pediatrician said it was perfect – and has had no complications at all.
As for the ceremony, many of our friends (and our parents’ friends) said it was the nicest bris they had ever been to. And those of our friends who had never attended such a ceremony before, and were a little uncertain about what to expect, told us they felt warmly welcomed, totally at ease, and they all loved Dr. Kogen’s friendly, inclusive style. He was happy to work with our rabbi, too, so that the brit milah and the naming ceremony flowed naturally into one another, altogether forming the outline of a beautiful, unforgettable day.
I am thrilled with Dr. Kogen’s work, would absolutely use him again, and can’t recommend him highly enough to other new parents making this important choice.

Dr Kogen was great. I was so terrified to have my son circumcised at home & insisted that the mohel be a DR. Dr Kogen walked us through everything & explained the aftercare so well that I calmed my nerves. He was great at leading the ceremony & my son did not even cry. My son healed so well. I highly recommend Dr Kogen & G-​D willing if we are blessed with another son, we will use Dr Kogen again.

My wife and I cannot recommend Dr. Kogan highly enough. We were a bit nervous about having our son circumcised, but from the outset Dr. Kogan put us at ease. He was very gentle with our baby boy, and guided us through the entire process to help us understand exactly how he would perform the procedure. The actual circumcision took less than a minute, though thanks to his wonderful manner it felt like only a second. He checked in with us the following day to make sure our son was recovering well, and made us feel as though he were caring for his own child. If we have any more boys, we will be calling Dr. Kogan without hesitation.

My dad did my Bris and it came out perfect, I am thrilled with the results. I’ve been told the ceremony was wonderful too!
I highly recommend my dad to anyone who is in need of a mohel.

Dr. Kogen did an excellent job with my son’s circumcision, and the manner in which he conducted the entire Bris ceremony was phenomenal. I would recommend him to anyone!

Dr. Kogen performed the Brit Milah on my grandson, Noah, last week and I can not say enough about the way he did this procedure. Having had an Orthodox bris for my own son many years ago, I had heard all types of stories about how they are performed today. I was thrilled to see that Dr. Kogen uses a pillow and not a restraint board. He did not give the baby an injection of an anesthetic. Other than the Kosher wine during the service, he used a TOPICAL CREAM anesthetic, plus some infant Tylenol beforehand, then a topical ointment afterward along with a little sweet water (sucrose water) during the procedure. He explained who the baby was named after, what he would be doing during the procedure, step by step, and acknowledged those family members who were there, including the 2 Great Grandma’s. He met with the immediate family quietly before the ceremony to make sure no one had any questions. I was most impressed with his website,
that answered any question anyone might have on his services. Noah came thru like a trooper and had no negative side effects. Dr. Kogen called the next day to follow up on him. He healed within a few days and now a week later looks perfect. I could not have asked for a more wonderful Mohel. I would recommend him to anyone looking for a Mohel. His attention to detail was impecable. Noah wore the same suit his Father wore at his bris and Dr. Kogen spoke about this and mentioned how great it was that we kept this for so many years.
Faith Goldman
Ladera Ranch, CA

We were so happy with Dr Kogen and our sons circumcision. He made us feel so comfortable and confident in our decision to circumcise at home. The procedure went flawless and our son healed beautifully! I would highly recommend Dr Kogen!

Dr Kogen did a great job with our son’s circumcision. Although we are not Jewish, we wanted our son circumcised on the 8^th day per biblical directions. Dr Kogen spent plenty of time explaining the entire procedure, after care and possible complications. We felt very confident in his expertise. The procedure went perfectly with no bleeding at all and very little afterwards. Our son cried for a minute and then it was over. Afterwards Dr Kogen stayed just to make sure it didn’t start bleeding and to remind us of the after care. I could not be more please with Dr Kogen’s service or the outcome. Dr Kogen came recommended to us and now I will recommend him to others.

I couldn’t be happier with the work Dr. Kogen did circumcising our baby boy. I wasn’t watching the clock, but I swear the procedure flew by in less than a minute, and almost at once my baby was calm and content in my arms again. The rest of the afternoon my son napped peacefully, fed normally, and behaved like it was any other day in his barely-​one-​week-​old life. He’s healing up right and proper, and as for my husband and I, we’re so relieved that we opted out of hospital circumcision and hired someone with the experience and skilled hands to treat our little angel as gently as possible.
We are a Christian couple and circumcision was something I knew little about and had never witnessed before. Dr. Kogen explained his whole process, his tools, and his methods, and although we were both a little nervous as the day approached, it truly went wonderfully. Such a nice man to work with, such a friendly and warm personality. My mother’s intuition says that we will be having more baby boys in the future, and we will absolutely be calling him back one day.

We could not have been happier with Dr. Kogan. I’m one of those moms who was very hesitant about circumcising in the first place, even though I know it’s part of Jewish tradition. I just couldn’t imagine having surgery on my newborn – He’s so perfect as he is! But Dr. Kogan really put our minds at ease. He worked with my family to make sure that we had everything we needed, and was very flexible with our schedule. He also added unexpected levity to the day, which I personally really needed. We sincerely appreciated that he made everyone feel welcome, and part of the ceremony… Even (or maybe especially) the non-​Jews.
The ceremony itself was lovely. He explained in detail what was going on, the significance, and made sure everyone understood what the day was about. He even brought readings, which was very much appreciated as parents of newborns have very little time to find poetic things to say at their son’s bris. We had a very small ceremony, and he invited each attendee to bestow some wishes on our little one. It was such a special part of the day.
Afterward, he gave us some great suggestions for restaurants and activities in our new neighborhood (we just moved last month) while we enjoyed a little nosh and baby slept peacefully.
Dr. Kogan’s website is also extremely helpful. We used it to help set up, and to refresh our memories on aftercare. One addition I would make to his care advice: get at least 4 tubes of Vaseline total and 10 gauze pads for every day of healing. So you need about 100… If your little one is anything like ours where diapers are concerned.
It’s been nine days, and our son has healed beautifully! I would recommend Dr. Kogan to anyone looking for an experienced, friendly, inclusive, welcoming mohel.

Dr. Kogen performed my son’s Bris last Thursday, Oct 16^th 2014. My wife is Christian and I’m Jewish and Dr. Kogen was great explaining everything to my non-​jewish side of the family throughout the ceremony. It was a beautiful ordeal and he worked in tandem with our Rabbi to perform a memorable service.
Truth be told, I was very nervous about this day and about how my son would react. To my son’s credit he barely cried — like 30 seconds and then he was cool. Im sure part of that is due to Dr. Kogen’s swift work and overall process. My son’s been healing quick and everything looks perfect.
It was an emotional day for my wife and I but Dr. Kogen was kind and generous throughout as he took us along this jarring yet wonderful journey. Before the ceremony began he clearly explained to us how it would play out and once it was done he took us aside again to make sure we knew how to care for our son in the coming days.
The prep was just as easy as he has ALL the info you need on his website and it clearly lists what you need to have on the day of the bris.
We don’t plan on having any more children, but if it’s a boy you can bet we’ll see the doc again.

Dr Kogen was truly a professional. Our friends and family were very impressed with his professionalism.
The Perry’s

We truly loved our time spent with Dr. Kogen! My wife and I are a Christian couple who recently had our first son. It was important to us to wait a week after our son was born to have his circumcision performed and Dr. Kogen was very accommodating of our timeline. In the days before he came to our home, he instructed us exactly what to buy and prepare before his arrival. On his way to our home, he called to give us an ETA as well as how to prepare our son for his circumcision in regards to pain management.
He arrived on-​time and was prepared from the start. He took time to explain to us EXACTLY what would happen in wonderful detail and took time to allow us to express any apprehension we may have for the impending surgery. He took time to ask us about ourselves, to learn how we met and of our hopes for our son. He asked us IF we wanted to hear the significance of the circumcision from the Jewish perspective and was more than happy to share about it. The operation was carefully-​swift, and our son displayed very little discomfort. Per Dr. Kogen’s care instructions, the circumcision healed perfectly and required very little maintenance. Later on in the week, he both called and emailed to follow up on our son’s care and we truly could not be more pleased with choosing Dr. Kogen.
On a personal note, I would like to commend Dr. Kogen for the path he has chosen in his life. It seems that not very often people find for themselves work that is meaningful and fulfilling. I truly believe that God has placed Dr. Kogen exactly where he needs to be. I am so thankful that we found Dr. Kogen and welcome him as family and friend to our family as he played such an important role of care to our son. To paraphrase something he said to us that he upheld and that allayed any apprehension I was feeling, «I know that you are entrusting me with your most precious one. I thank you for the trust you are giving me and please know, that I will treat your son, and love him as if he is my own.»
While we did not celebrate as one does for a bris, we look forward to doing so in the (non-​traditional sense) future with our family and friends as it was a truly meaningful experience. I recommend him highly and again would like to thank Dr. Kogen for his care and work.