Rabbi Atkins was honorably discharged from the Air Force in August of 1977. After serving as a pulpit rabbi, he decided in 1982 to make aliyah and lived in Israel for several years. Upon his return to the United States in 1994, he served pulpits in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Rabbi Atkins was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree by the Jewish Theological Seminary in March of 2001.

Rabbi Atkins is a trained and board-certified mohel who has been doing the mitzvah for over 25 years. He studied under Rabbi Morris Shoulson, z"l, of Philadelphia, one of the most prominent mohelim in America in his generation. He has been certified by the Brit Milah Commission of the Philadelphia Board of Rabbis, and he also has a certificate of study from the Brit Kodesh program of the Rabbinical Assembly.

His love of milah and his pleasure and experience in teaching this beautiful mitzvah bring him together with Dr. Neil Pollock in organizing "Korayt HaBrit," (Establishing the Covenant) a complete training program for mohelim for the Jewish community. Rabbi Atkins can be contacted via this website, directly at mohel8@aol.com, or by telephone at 860-242-5561.