Winner of "America's Next Top Mohel" Announced

NEW YORK, NEW YORK — [TheKnish.com] Rabbi Asher Kutoff, the 37-year-old Stanley Cup security guard from Brooklyn, won the eighth season of the reality show "America's Next Top Mohel" on Wednesday. He made the cut over Oizer Chapman, the 41-year-old Russian-born Barbie dress designer from Minnesota. Yesacher Schick, the 29-year-old body odor consultant from Baltimore, was eliminated earlier in the finale, with the judges commenting that he metzizah b'pehed less vigorously than the other two.

Mohel Toyra Banks hosts and co-produces the show. As part of his prize package, Rabbi Kutoff was awarded a moheling contract with Elite Mohel Management, a $100,000 contract with Cutco Knives, and a quarter-page spread in Samurai Magazine.

In the finale, Kutoff and Chapman sliced off in a mohel show in New York. At one point during the competition, Rabbi Kutoff's tallis untied and got in his way, which he maneuvered back into position with a combination of body shrugs and teethpulls and was praised by the show's judges for making it look planned.

According to the judges' final discussion, the decision was close. Legendary 1960's mohel Ziggy called Rabbi Kutoff's work, "Some of the best of all of the competitors," but went on to say "they're all winners."

Rabbi Kutoff had tried out for the previous season of "Top Mohel" but did not make the cut. "I think that shows to all men born under the constellation of Mars, if you have that drive, keep going," he said of his second chance.

Both men were praised for their strong ethnic ties, and Chapman gave part of his final thank you speech in Russian, while Rabbi Kutoff delivered part of his in Yiddish. He also noted "I'm the European spice here. I'm not your mohel next door but I'm your mohel down the block in your hood."

Writer

Martin Bodek is short, dark, handsome, run marathons (finishes them too!), can solve a Rubik's Cube in 1:47, is a big TED chasid, can whup your keister in Scrabble, loves Halva, and co-founded TheKnish.com.

More articles by Martin Bodek

0 Comments

Post a comment