Beyond the Bris

Simply Uncut: The Intersection Between Today’s Simple Living and Pro-Intact Movements

By REBECCA WALD

I recently watched “Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things.” Available on Netflix, the film profiles Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus —two great guys whose podcasts I’ve been enjoying for some time. They call themselves The Minimalists and put a modern spin on the age-old concept of doing more with less.

In my early 20s, I was an avid reader of Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) who wrote of the benefits of living a simple life close to nature. Ideas that ring true tend to turn up everywhere. Thoreau was by no means the first — or only — simple living advocate. Ancient Indian texts, Zen philosophy, and a great many other religious and cultural movements have extolled the virtues of pairing down. Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote about the “ascetic ideal.”

Today, 21^st century incarnations of the simple living paradigm abound. Books, blogs, documentary films, and online communities are devoted to topics such as de-cluttering, tiny houses, anti-consumerism, downsizing, efficiency, conscious consumption, homesteading, slow living, and frugality — just to name a few! I enjoy dipping into all of this. While I am by no means a minimalist, much of what is being discussed appeals to me, no doubt for the same reasons that it appeals to so many others.

Living the simple life means embracing what is essential and valuable and doing away with (or at least minimizing) the rest. It means looking critically at those things we are being “sold” to evaluate whether they add value to our lives or get in the way of our happiness. Choosing people and experiences over things provides opportunities to spend more time connecting with loved ones while also connecting with the outdoors.

Just as today’s simple living movement is gaining in popularity, so too is the American trend to look critically at routine infant circumcision. The non-therapeutic circumcision of babies is among the most discussed topics on the web. Circumcision rates in the U.S. are at historic lows. Millenials “get it” and are (or will) be opting their kids out in record numbers. Interestingly, simple living and questioning circumcision share common ground.

Infant circumcision not only adds unneeded suffering to a baby’s first days of life, it also adds unneeded complexity. The procedure must be planned for, the wound must be cared for, and — of course — the bill must be paid. Circumcision is just one more thing we’re encouraged to buy for our babies. If a complication arises, as it often does, there is added stress, late night phone calls, trips to the doctor, and expense. Revision surgeries are common and comprise the bread-and-butter of many American pediatric urology practices.

Circumcision’s defenders often cite “health benefits” although the studies are conflicting and largely inconclusive. Pointing to the alleged health benefits is a socially acceptable justification for circumcision that is hard to argue. Everyone wants children to be healthy, right? I’ve always suspected that those who point to the health benefits are really motivated by other, less socially acceptable, reasons. Like fashion.

Circumcision is a matter of fashion. People who are only familiar with the circumcised penis believe this is how all penises should look. It’s not much different than society’s expectation that women shave their armpits. Isn’t it a matter of style or fashion when people say a baby “should look like his father” or look the way others in the community expect?

Simplicity movements eschew jumping on the bandwagon of style in favor of substance and functionality. The natural penis functions the way nature intended, being capable of giving and receiving more pleasure than the penis whose erogenous tissues have been forever stripped away.

Being more thoughtful, more intentional, and less easily sold — this is the crux of today’s minimalism movement and also the crux of today’s pro-intact trend.

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Book for Jewish Families Skipping Circumcision Continues to Gain Traction

It's hard to believe that this May marks the two-year anniversary of the official release of "Celebrating Brit Shalom," a book of alternative bris ceremonies for Jewish families who have decided not to circumcise their newborn sons.

Written with my delightful co-author and partner in crime, Lisa Braver Moss, we knew from the start that our book would be targeted to a niche audience of progressive Jewish parents opting out of the circumcision ritual, and to rabbis open-minded enough to meet this ceremonial need.

Today we measure our success quite differently from most other book authors. We were never expecting to sell millions of books — or even thousands. After all, the number of Jewish families expecting sons, who don't wish to circumcise, and do wish to have an alternative bris is quite small. With such a narrow intended audience, way back when, we turned to Kickstarter to help fund our project. And we remain deeply thankful to all those who saw the value of what we were doing and supported us.

So how are we doing two years after the book's release? I think pretty well. Every month we sell books — no longer to the friends and family who initially supported us and bought our book as a Kickstarter reward, but to those for whom the book was truly written: Jewish families expecting a son and planning to keep him intact.

Our book sales are by no means through the roof. So far, this May, we've sold just three units. Other authors would likely be hanging their heads low over this number, but Lisa and I view this as an enormous success. Think about it. So far, this month, that's three Jewish families who are not only opting out, and choosing alternative bris, but who also found our book and followed through with a purchase.

"Celebrating Brit Shalom" also continues to be a topic of conversation, thanks to Lisa's knack for public speaking, and her belief that Jewish parents shouldn't be pressured to go against their heartfelt instinct to protect their boys from the pain and lifelong physical and emotional consequences of circumcision.

Last May, Lisa spoke at Temple Sinai in Oakland California. This June, she'll be speaking again. This time at the JCC East Bay in Berkeley.

Video: Groundbreaking Brit Shalom Talk at Temple Sinai in Oakland CA

Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin's remarks may be the first of their kind, publicly acknowledging the importance of making Jewish families feel welcome in congregational life when they have made a different choice about circumcision. The rabbi's remarks precede a talk given by Lisa Braver Moss at her synagogue, Temple Sinai, in Oakland California.

Following a brief presentation about her own experience as a young Jewish mother when her sons were born, Lisa reads excerpts from the book Celebrating Brit Shalom (co-authored with Rebecca Wald). Lisa then leads a Q&A session followed by a unique performance of Songs for Celebrating Brit Shalom, the music written to accompany the ceremonies in the book. Choir members and others from the Temple Sinai musical community join Lisa, her husband Mark, and their son Reuben, who wrote the music, in this debut performance.

Jewish Circumcision a Symptom of Larger Problems

By ROSS GLAZIER

I believe that we can complain about circumcision until we all pass out (or on) but until we connect circumcision to much larger issues that are poisoning our world we will be unable to end it.

I think that rigid religious doctrine and rigid religious ritual are both traps. Rigid religious doctrine is a trap because no doctrine or sacred text can ever contain everything that can be known or discovered. Medieval Catholic doctrine could compel Copernicus to publish posthumously and even silence Galileo, but no religious doctrine can change the facts that the Earth orbits the Sun and that Jupiter has moons.

A Circumcision Activist Is Born

By Nicole Katz-Lahey

I've always been an extremely passionate person. When I was a kid my passions were sports and animals. If I did something, I did it with every inch of my being. I'm now a mother of three and, true to my personality, I have to be the best mother I have it in me to be.

When I was pregnant for the first time, my mom asked me if it was a boy can we plan a bris. I replied with "No" but that we could just do the baby naming part at home. She was a little concerned and asked if we would circumcise him. I let her know that I wanted it done in a hospital. I didn't want to be stressed out or upset on the day that I was to be celebrating my child.

Jewish Doula Educates on Normalcy of Foreskin

By LO MARET

I grew up in a secular Jewish family. Like many Jewish families where religion is not the focus, we still observed some traditions, like the High Holidays. However, as a young girl, I began questioning all forms of organized religion and this is perhaps the first step I took in choosing to leave my son intact.

Upcoming Temple Sinai Event for Celebrating Brit Shalom

The oldest Jewish congregation in the East San Francisco Bay region, founded in 1875, will host a groundbreaking discussion surrounding the choice to skip circumcision by Jewishly observant families. The Reform synagogue, Temple Sinai of Oakland California, has a long history of welcoming Jews of all stripes. They recently added language to their website indicating the Temple offers naming ceremonies for non-circumcising Jewish families.

Sean Altman uses satire and melody to spread the message that people of all backgrounds should consider foregoing circumcision for their newborn sons.

By REBECCA WALD

“Moishe Pipik”—directly translated from the Yiddish this phrase means “Moses Bellybutton.” It’s an illusive, archaic, Jewish expression that might be used to describe a prankster, one who pushes the boundaries of acceptable mischief. Sean Altman is a modern-day Moishe Pipik, a contrasting player of wisdom (Moses) and humor (bellybutton), with a voice as rich, silky and complex as a Jewish grandma’s chicken soup broth.

Genital Integrity Awareness Week Speaker Discusses Intersex and Circumcision

Genital Integrity Awareness Week, or GIAW, has been celebrated annually during the last week of March since 1992. During the week, gatherings are held in cities and towns across the United States, with the largest gathering in Washington, D.C. There is a large demonstration/march on the West Lawn of the Capitol—as well as many informal get togethers with those in the genital integrity movement. During one such get together at GIAW 2014, Sandy Roman shares his thoughts about the circumcision issue (video courtesy of Circumcision Resources).

Jewish Parents with Intact Children

When Brian and Sarah Kirkell saw a protest outside the American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) Conference in Washington DC they shared their story of how they came to protect their son's genital integrity, and educate their daughter about genital autonomy too.

All Penises Welcome! Celebrating Brit Shalom Brings Its Message of Inclusion to Union for Reform Judaism

This adorable miniature diorama showing a brit shalom ceremony, crafted by Lisa Braver Moss, was front and center at our booth during the Union for Reform Judaism's Biennial. It served as a perfect icebreaker to get the conversation going.

By REBECCA WALD

Being so involved in the circumcision issue, it’s easy for me to forget that many are still unaware of the anatomical facts, or even the controversies surrounding the practice. This was evident during my recent trip to the Union for Reform Judaism Biennial, held this year in Orlando, Florida. “Why would any parent want to opt out?” “Hasn’t it been proven healthier?” These were among the many questions that Lisa Braver Moss and I encountered during the five day event.

Erica Jong on Circumcision: What's Missing?

By REBECCA WALD

When it comes to Jewish circumcision, Erica Jong has a bad case of dysentery. You know, in the Woody Allen sense, where commentary and dissent merge? It’s a bug that Jong can’t seem to shake.

For those too young to remember, Jong is best known for her 1973 breakout novel Fear of Flying. Back then, John Updike’s review in The New Yorker placed Fear of Flying alongside J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye and Philip Roth’s Portnoy’s Complaint. Over the past 40 years, Jong has written dozens of other books of fiction, nonfiction and poetry.

The Union for Reform Judaism conference will be a great
place to engage in dialogue with Jewish leaders about meeting
the ceremonial needs of families that opt out of circumcision.

A 4000-plus convergence of Reform rabbis and congregational leaders is taking place in Orlando this November and Celebrating Brit Shalom will be on hand.

Celebrating Brit Shalom is the first-ever book specifically for Jewish families opting out of circumcision. Brit shalom is an alternative to brit milah for parents who want to give their boys a formal welcome to Jewish life, minus the circumcision.

Brochure highlights danger of oral-gential contact during ritual
circumcision but laws are needed to protect vulnerable babies.

By REBECCA WALD

One topic I’ve never before addressed on Beyond the Bris is the practice of metzitsah b’peh. This very ancient practice takes place during traditional religious circumcision, just after the mohel has removed the foreskin.

Imagine a world in the near future where sex is just for recreation. A world where hopeful parents-to-be (even those of relatively modest means) go to IVF clinics to pre-select embryos based on their genetic desirability—and where genetic enhancement through various techniques is possible. This is the world of Jamie Metzl’s newest book, Genesis Code: A Thriller of the Near Future (Arcade Publishing, 2014). The book imagines a “space race” of sorts between the United States and China, where the superpowers are racing to create a generation of Ubermensch, individuals who possess exceptionally high intelligence.

Marilyn Milos, RN, references "Celebrating Brit Shalom" at
the 2015 Birth Keeper Summit in Berkeley, CA.

By REBECCA WALD

Well, it's official. Drumroll please! As of today the Oakland-based indie publishing company, Notim Press, has officially released Celebrating Brit Shalom, a book I've co-authored with my wonderful colleague and friend Lisa Braver Moss.

By REBECCA WALD

Italian artist Vincenzo Aiello has made what he says is the first-ever recreation of the male foreskin. Calling it an art piece, he's offering these ultra-realistic sculptures of "HuFo" to backers of his Kickstarter crowd-funding effort.

Unlikely Advocate for Boy Facing Circumcision

Jonathan Friedman is the last person some might expect to be lead activist in a high-profile circumcision case. After all, the Brooklyn-born yeshiva graduate was raised to believe in the centrality of circumcision.

Navigating Gender Stereotypes and the Circumcision Imperative

By B.J. EPSTEIN

It’s a well-known phenomenon that a pregnant body is seen as a public one, and can become a war zone of sorts. People feel able to comment on any aspect of the woman’s body and behavior, and to ask questions or give advice about how to raise the forthcoming child. It’s frustrating, intrusive, and often upsetting. Sometimes, however, it can also lead to useful opportunities for challenging other people’s beliefs.

In May, a peaceful protest on behalf of the boy and his mom in front
of the Court that upheld the circumcision order earlier this November.

A group of concerned Floridians will be taking to the streets in protest on Sunday, Nov. 23, to raise awareness about the distressing case of a healthy four-year-old boy that a family court judge has ordered circumcised against his mother’s wishes.

The child’s parents—who never married—are in conflict about the procedure. Beyond the Bris has been covering the case, which is detailed here. Following that report, the Broward/Palm Beach New Times posted an article of their own on developments in the case.

The above photo is from the Facebook community "Chase's
Guardians," which has more than 3000 "Likes" and is trying
to raise funds for a possible appeal to the Florida Supreme Court.

The fight to save her four-year-old son from non-medically necessary circumcision recently got a lot tougher for a South Florida mom. On November 6 an appellate court upheld a ruling allowing the boy’s father to have him circumcised—despite his mother’s deeply held belief that the procedure will be painful, damaging and emotionally harmful to him.

Jewish psychiatrist Wilhelm Reich (1897-1957) wrote passionately against the practice of infant circumcision calling it "one of the worst treatments of children." Now there is a new documentary film in the works about Reich's life—and an active Kickstarter campaign to help fund what promises to be a very important project.

Bris Without Cutting Officiant List Tops 200

The movement to name newborn Jewish boys without the surgery of circumcision has reached a milestone—200 celebrants (officiants) are available to perform the ceremony. More than 120 of these are rabbis.

The 13th International Symposium on Genital Autonomy and Children’s Rights, “Whole Bodies, Whole Selves: Activating Social Change,” will be hosted at the University of Colorado—Boulder on July 24-26, 2014.

A Beautiful Brit Shalom in America

Courtesy of Amira Gaynor

"When we planned this Brit Shalom for our son, we struggled to find appropriate Jewish content for the ceremony. It was difficult to figure out which content honored the Jewish tradition of welcoming a Jewish boy to the community without honoring/performing the circumcision. Having a Jewish resource to guide the ceremony would have been a valuable resource. I wish "Celebrating Brit Shalom" had been available four years ago!"

Thank G-d, It's a Girl

By EMILY KAPIT

I was not scared of labor and delivery; in fact, I was looking forward to it. I had a great team of supporters (husband, doctor, a doula), was prepared to labor using hypnobirthing, and really excited to meet our little one. I was, however, utterly terrified of a piece of paper, tucked inside an envelope with three simple words on an index card: It's a ____.

Israeli Mother Opposes Circumcision for Young Son

By REBECCA WALD

Today Israel’s High Court of Justice issued an unprecedented ruling—rabbinical courts in that country no longer have the authority to determine whether boys will be circumcised should divorcing parents disagree on the matter.

Brit Shalom Families—Where's the Controversy?

By LISA BRAVER MOSS

"You know I love you, Lisa, but about circumcision — well, can't we just agree to disagree?"

As a Jewish woman who opposes circumcision, I often get this kind of conversational preempt from friends and family. It's an occupational hazard of writing about such a highly-charged topic: people seem to think I'm looking for a fight.

Circumcision Is Best, But Families Opting Out Should Be Embraced—An Interview With Conservative Rabbi Joshua Ratner

"Jewish families who want to be part of congregational Judaism—whether or not their sons have been circumcised—should be not only included in Jewish life but embraced!"

Rabbi Joshua Ratner

Beyond the Bris: Can you talk a little about your background? What branch of Judaism are you associated with?

Rabbi Ratner: I grew up in a warm, loving Jewish home in San Diego. I attended Conservative and later Orthodox Day School but never thought I would become a rabbi. I was a huge fan of the TV shows "LA Law" and "Perry Mason" and assumed I would someday become a lawyer. I left home for Columbia University and there found myself fascinated by the study of different cultures and religions. I wound up graduating with a degree in comparative religion and spent some time after college studying in Israel. Nevertheless, I continued with my plan to become a lawyer and wound up practicing law—first in New York, and later in Connecticut—for about five years.

Infant circumcision is a highly charged topic—add in the element of religion and it's a potential powder keg. Yet the movement to end the non-therapeutic sexual cutting of children depends on thoughtful and respectful conversation. Saving Our Sons is wonderful grassroots organization that educates the public about the harms of infant circumcision. Beyond the Bris is so thankful to them for publishing a guest post by Rebecca Wald, Talking Jewish Circumcision (Especially When You Aren't Jewish).

A Wonderful "Misadventure"—Brian Leaf's Newest Yogi Book

By REBECCA WALD

I recently discovered author Brian Leaf and I’m so glad I did. He is the voice of my generation of naturally-minded parents. He is caring, sensible, smart and funny. I’d like to think that if our paths had crossed, we would be friends.

Leaf is an accomplished writer with 12 books already to his credit, including two humorous biographies. He’s also a frequent Mothering.com blogger. I’ve just read his second biography, Misadventures of a Parenting Yogi (2014). It’s really, really good. That means a lot to me on a personal level. Now that I have three kids, I rarely get to sit down with a book. When I do, I have high hopes since this may be the only book I get to read for the next year—or decade—given that my youngest is still an infant. Thanks, Brian, for not letting me down!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oakland, California — Lisa Braver Moss and Rebecca Wald, both known for their writings questioning Jewish circumcision, have launched a 45-day Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the completion of a book to serve Jewish families who decide not to circumcise. They are hoping to raise $8,200 to complete the project with their campaign, which begins June 17th.

Brian Levitt holds his newborn photo
in protest of infant circumcision.

Jewish feelings about circumcision—for and against—are complex. The following quotes, all of them by Jewish people and all of them real, demonstrate the diversity of thought when it comes to questioning the ancient ritual. If you are Jewish and would like to add your quote, send Beyond the Bris a note and we'll include your statement in a future posting.

By REBECCA WALD

Superman has captured the imagination of every generation of American kids since 1938 when he first appeared in Action Comics #1, but leave it to satellite radio celebrity Howard Stern to tackle the really hard questions concerning this American superhero.

Why I Didn't Choose Circumcision

BY Brian Leaf

I'm a bit depressed. Our midwife gave me a book about circumcision. I've started the book and can't put it down. I'm not sure that I'll ever fully recover.

The book tells me that the foreskin is like an eyelid protecting the sensitive mucous membrane underneath. Circumcision removes this protective skin, so the skin underneath keratinizes, meaning it hardens and desensitizes, like a callus. Therefore, the book posits, circumcision removes length and girth from the penis and decreases enjoyment of sex.

You do not say these things to a man. I'm trying to climb out of the hole. I tell myself that most men in the United States are circumcised, so it's a level playing field. It just means that uncircumcised men are heroes and that we are at a disadvantage when we leave the country.

Now, keep in mind that whether or not sex is less pleasurable without a foreskin is, of course, very difficult to test. Nobody is lining up for a double-blind controlled study: Have sex. Rate it on a scale from 1 to 10. Then lose the foreskin, heal, have sex again with the same partner, and rate it again from 1 to 10. Any takers?

So it's difficult to test the reduced-pleasure hypothesis. And people don't talk about it much, so we don't gather much anecdotal evidence, either. Unless you are a professional sex worker or my friend Adeline, you probably rarely talk about sex, especially the specifics. I don't even know which of my friends have a foreskin and which don't. Maybe I'll ask the question on Facebook: "Share or Like if you have a foreskin."

We all know about circumcision's Jewish roots in the covenant between God and Abraham, but whom do we have to thank for the mass popularization of circumcision? When did it cross the gentile line? In Victorian England, of course. Yes, the same folks who made sex and farting socially unacceptable. Will Ferrell and Judd Apatow owe Queen Victoria big-time. What if nudity, masturbation, and farting weren't funny?

In the 1800s, germ theory was gaining attention and people believed circumcision could fight the ultimate germ demon, smegma. Sounds like a Batman villain. They incorrectly believed smegma to be a breeding ground of bacteria. This is hogwash. Smegma is actually found in most animal genitalia and, in fact, serves to clean and lubricate the genitals, moistening the sensitive mucous membrane between the foreskin and the penis. The word smegma itself is Greek for soap.

Circumcision was the new snake oil. It was touted to prevent or cure syphilis, epilepsy, hernia, headache, clubfoot, alcoholism, gout, and, god forbid, masturbation! As I read older parenting books, I am absolutely astonished at how often people bring up masturbation. They were obsessed. "We must stop this epidemic!" I suppose things have changed. Just last night I watched Seth Rogen masturbate right on screen at the cinema.

Lots of folks, these days, defer the decision of whether or not to circumcise to the thinking of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Seems sensible. But the AAP is about as reliable on the matter as Steve Martin's Theodoric of York, Medieval Barber. The AAP has flip-flopped its position at least four times. In 1971 the academy officially concluded that it was not a medical necessity. In 1989 they announced that there were good medical reasons for it. In 1999 they were neutral, stating in a report that the health benefits of the procedure were slim. And most recently, in 2012, the AAP changed their official stance, saying that the health benefits of circumcision outweigh the risks.

One of the founders of the American Medical Association, Lewis Sayre, in the late 1800s started recommending circumcision to cure paralysis and gross motor problems. He believed that a tight foreskin threw off the nervous system. "Hmm, this patient is paralyzed. Must be a tight penis."

All this is another perfect example of why we must, in parenting as in life, gather data, but ultimately stay grounded and follow our own hearts and intuition.

In the end, my wife and I chose not to circumcise. People ask me, "What will you tell your son when he asks why his penis is different from yours?" I don't understand this concern. Why must his penis match mine? Our hair color is different. We have different noses and his teeth are better than mine. Should he get braces and a retainer to mimic my overbite?

Brian Leaf is the author of Misadventures of a Parenting Yogi. He has studied, practiced, and taught yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda for twenty-three years. Visit him online on facebook at www.facebook.com/Misadventures.of.a.Yogi. The above essay is excerpted from the new book Misadventures of a Parenting Yogi ©2014 by Brian Leaf. Published with permission of New World Library.

Belly Casts Give Confidence, Celebrate Beauty of the Natural Form

Kirsten Seinfeld puts finishing touches on a belly cast.

Our bodies are beautiful—and perfect—the way they are. This is the message of the pregnancy belly cast, a commemorative keepsake of motherhood that’s become very popular. Check out belly cast Google images, or Pinterest, and you’ll see dozens of belly cast examples, often created right at home by moms- and dads-to-be. They range from whimsical (adorned with feather boas and butterflies) to humorous (the round belly is painted like a baseball) and irreverent (a monkey’s nose becomes the protruding belly button).

Fort Lauderdale artist Kirsten Seinfeld would like to elevate the pregnancy belly cast to high art. She envisions one day having a show with twenty bellies, or more, on display in a gallery. She’s already well on her way, with dozens of casts hanging in her living room. Seinfeld is known in South Florida as the go-to girl for an incredible belly cast—and she's been known to give moms a price break if she can do two castings, one to keep for her private (future gallery) collection.

Foot washing replaces circumcision in
the alternative brit pictured above.

Is there an alternative to circumcision? This question was recently posed to two rabbis in The Jewish Chronicle Online’s “Rabbi I Have a Problem” section. At issue, an outraged uncle whose niece had decided not to circumcise her newborn son and instead held an alternative brit. Despite the growing popularity of Brit Shalom, one has to wonder: was this question really sent in by a reader or dreamed up by an editor on a slow news day? Regardless, I appreciated the response of both rabbis who weighed in.

Apparently Alicia Silverstone isn’t so clueless. This Jewish mom stood up to some family pressure and decided not to circumcise her newborn son. She writes about the experience in her new book The Kind Mama: A Simple Guide to Supercharged Fertility, a Radiant Pregnancy, a Sweeter Birth, and a Healthier, More Beautiful Beginning (2014).

Silverstone was raised in a traditional Jewish household, where candles were lit on Friday nights. She went to Hebrew school and has fond memories of her bat mitzvah. As an adult, her ties to Judaism remain strong.

“Judaism turned me into who I am today, and I definitely feel I live a very spiritual life. I got that from my parents,” she has said.

“Cut,” a documentary film that challenges Jewish circumcision, is an official selection at the 2014 Pasadena International Film Festival. The film will be shown on February 13 at 3:30p.m. at the Laemmle Playhouse 7 in Pasadena, CA. A special thank you goes out to Danielle Gladding, who made this possible.

For those who would like to own a copy of this incredible film, now is a great time. Previously, the film was only available as a DVD. Eli Ungar-Sargon, the film’s director, has recently teamed up with an online distributor to allow for digital purchase. The film can now be downloaded for $9.99.

“We’re just very excited to be able to make ‘Cut’ available to the world in a convenient way and at a reasonable price,” Ungar-Sargon says.

Jewish Psychologist to Debate Circumcision in Europe

Ronald Goldman, Ph.D.

Ronald Goldman, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Circumcision Resource Center, a nonprofit educational organization in Boston, has been invited by the Council of Europe to participate in an interdisciplinary dialogue about circumcision at a meeting in France on January 28.

There is a growing European debate about circumcision. In October the Council of Europe, an organization of 47 member States, overwhelmingly passed a non-binding resolution that called circumcision, among other procedures, a violation of the physical integrity of children according to established human rights standards. Circumcision is uncommon in Europe except among Jews and Muslims.

Circumcision In Israel Not Taken For Granted Anymore

The drawbacks and potential benefits of infant circumcision are now being publicly debated in Israel, the consequence of a pending High Court case there. I wrote about some of the ethical issues last week. The unusual case stems from a rabbinical court ruling where a mother was ordered to circumcise her nearly one-year-old son or face fines.

Ethical Issues in Israel's Bizarre Circumcision Case

By REBECCA WALD

Jewish mother Elinor holds up a sign of protest against the
rabbinical court ruling that she must circumcise her son.

An Israeli mother ordered to circumcise her eleven-month-old son, or face a daily accruing fine, has today taken her case to the High Court of Justice, the court of last resort in that country.

The strange case stems from a divorce proceeding. When it comes to matters of divorce, the Israeli judicial system is very different from the American system, as this case illustrates. In Israel there is no civil marriage and rabbinical courts have jurisdiction over Jewish divorce. So when the father in this case demanded that his son undergo brit milah—religious circumcision—during a divorce-related hearing, the court cited the importance of upholding the biblical covenant.

Why This (Jewish) Mom Skipped Circumcision

By REBECCA WALD

Every mom is different and brings her own style when it comes to raising her kids. I didn’t circumcise my son and feel it was 100% the right choice. At the same time, I don’t condemn parents who circumcise. I recognize that good people can experience the world in different ways due to their circumstances and their natures and can come to different conclusions.

Choosing to leave my son with the penis he was born with was a decision very much in keeping with how I see myself as a parent. Some see parenting as a dictatorship (albeit benevolent) where the parent always knows best. Children are viewed as blank slates that must be taught not simply how to navigate themselves in the world, but also such things as morals and spirituality.

Judaism, Bris Milah, and Human Rights: A Torah Perspective

By YECHIEL WEISS

There can be no doubt that bris milah is an important mitzvah. While the Torah does call for circumcision at eight days, there are indeed prominent Jews in the Tanakh who were circumcised later in life. Avraham Avinu was circumcised at 99; tradition holds that he kept the entirety of the written and oral Torah well before matan Torah, meaning he performed the majority of mitzvahs in his life while in an uncircumcised state.

When Everything In Me Said to Circumcise: A Jewish Father Wrestles with Tradition

By MARK MORRIS

Author, Mark Morris, with his partner Jude and their son Lev.

I always thought that if I had a son I would not circumcise him. I felt the need to challenge this Jewish tradition. It felt like quite a brutal decision to take on behalf of my newborn son, for a covenant that I did not believe in. (I am secular but very culturally identified.) But when I found out that we were going to have a baby boy, the sudden emotional desire to have him circumcised was immediate and very strong.

A beachside brit shalom in Vancouver, Canada.

By SHAWN STARK

My wife, Amari, was seven months pregnant and we were at our midwife appointment. At this point we knew we would be having a boy. Near the end of our visit, the midwife asked us what we were planning to do about circumcision.

Amari and I are both Jewish and we had discussed it a couple of times before. My take was: “We're Jewish. My grandparents are Holocaust survivors. Our boy is getting circumcised." However, Amari was against the procedure, although she was willing to do it if it meant that much to me.

Bizarre Circumcision Stories: Where's the Journalism?

By Lisa Braver Moss
Special to Beyond the Bris

If you follow circumcision in the news, you’ve been busy lately. And if you happen to like journalism that’s baffling—well, there’s been plenty to enjoy.

The Atlantic, for example, recently ran a piece about a married couple facing the circumcision decision. Like so many publications, the magazine apparently thought it had to be balanced about the parents’ opposing points of view. The highlighted quote: “We quickly realized that neither of us had any rational reason to feel strongly about the subject.”

Wait, these parents are equally irrational? One thinks baby should be left intact, while the other is advocating for surgery with no medical condition present. Those are both illogical?

Jewish Activist Speaks on Metzitzah B'Peh Circumcision Practice

By REBECCA WALD

The video has been published by photographer and videographer James Loewen. Loewen has been capturing emotionally gripping images and videos from inside the anti-circumcision movement. Many of his videos have been uploaded to his YouTube Channel, Bonobo3D. Loewen began uploading the videos four years ago and they comprise some of the most important statements being made and aired to a worldwide audience on the subject of childhood circumcision. Social activist Jonathan Friedman, who is a longtime friend and contributing writer to Beyond the Bris, is featured on a new YouTube video discussing the Orthodox brit milah procedure he endured as an eight day old infant. He also speaks about his work to inform others on the harms caused by circumcision.

Our Covenant Is With Our Son: My Family's Take on Jewish Circumcisions

The author's husband, James, and their son Etani.

By JENNIFER MARGULIS

The baby, who had been so quiet, peaceful, and trusting just moments before, opened his mouth in shock, a look of utter bewilderment on his face, and then started to scream. He screamed shrilly, like a wounded animal.

“I hate this part,” his grandmother muttered to me, shaking her head and ducking outside. “I’ll come back later.”

My Jewish Heritage was Key to Unlocking the American Secret

By FRANCELLE WAX

Photo/James Loewen

I was born and raised a Reconstructionist Jew in Scarsdale, NY. I wish I could say that growing up, with every cousin’s bris, I struggled mightily to comprehend such brutality. The truth is that, like virtually all children, I trusted the adults who told me that foreskin removal was in a baby’s best interest.

As I grew older, it was my Jewish education and upbringing that prompted me to be more considered about rules and authority, and ultimately to be reflective about circumcision.

When you grow up with the reality that your ancestors were persecuted in just about every place in which they tried to settle, and found to be on the the wrong side of the law just a tad too often, you come to appreciate that cultural embrace and legal status are weak litmus tests for determining whether someone or something is good or ethical. In referencing my ancestors, I’m not just talking about abrahamic tent dwellers or European Jewry in the 1930s, but also Russian Jews in the late 1980s. I realized I could not blindly trust the so-called “authorities”--even the Jewish ones--when it came to determining right from wrong. Once you grasp that, you resign yourself to a life of figuring stuff out for yourself.

By RICHARD SCHWARTZMAN, D.O.

The American Academy of Pediatrics announced in 2012 a change in its policy regarding infant male circumcision. Whereas previously they held “the procedure is not essential to the childʼs current well-being,” now in their carefully worded statement they say “the benefits outweigh the risks.” This reversal comes at a time when circumcision rates are at their lowest point in years in the USA, and when many people around the world are taking a stand against the procedure.

The benefits cited by the AAP are to prevent the potential for physical illness or disease, the evidence of which is questionable at best. There is no reference by the AAP to even the possibility of emotional harm resulting from such a traumatic experience so early in life.

There are countless animal studies showing that traumatic experiences soon after birth cause crippling long term effects. Such studies on human infants, while fewer, also show the damaging effects of early childhood trauma. Apparently, in the eyes of the AAP, such evidence is not considered important.

A Call for Sensitivity in Discussing Circumcision

By MOLLY MCFLY

I am a young woman who is proud to be deeply invested in the movement to defeat institutionalized circumcision. However, as I have previously confessed, I once agreed with and actually defended this unnecessary surgery and its imposition on non-consenting infants.

Since I used to be pro-cutting and am now adamantly opposed to it, I remember which messages I used to scoff at, and which messages actually got me to listen. I couldn't identify with the horror of the procedure until I learned about it in a non-judgmental manner.

Bris Prep: What Happens During a Bris That You Might Not See

By REBECCA WALD

I have a friend, an educated man, who insists that circumcision during a bris involves nothing more than pulling the foreskin forward over the glans and snipping off the “excess” skin with a single cut. He is a grandfather who served as a sandak and held his grandsons during their ritual circumcision procedures. How could it possibly involve anything more, since he watched it take place before his own eyes?

Uniting the Next Generation of Parents Against Circumcision

By MOLLY MCFLY

As a nineteen-year-old woman, I only have one friend who is already a parent. She is an incredible mother to her young daughter, whose sex protected her from the circumcision debate. The rest of my peers are college-aged adults who spend an appropriately smaller amount of their free time than I do pondering infant welfare and debating a common practice that was probably performed on themselves or on their brothers. Yet in a few years, these people and I will become the newest generation of parents in America.

Sean Altman uses satire and melody to spread the message that people of all backgrounds should consider foregoing circumcision for their newborn sons.

Marilyn Milos, RN, references "Celebrating Brit Shalom" atthe 2015 Birth Keeper Summit in Berkeley, CA.

In May, a peaceful protest on behalf of the boy and his mom in front of the Court that upheld the circumcision order earlier this November.

The above photo is from the Facebook community "Chase'sGuardians," which has more than 3000 "Likes" and is tryingto raise funds for a possible appeal to the Florida Supreme Court.

Jewish mother Elinor holds up a sign of protest against the rabbinical court ruling that she must circumcise her son.

Marilyn Milos, RN, references "Celebrating Brit Shalom" at
the 2015 Birth Keeper Summit in Berkeley, CA.

In May, a peaceful protest on behalf of the boy and his mom in front
of the Court that upheld the circumcision order earlier this November.

The above photo is from the Facebook community "Chase's
Guardians," which has more than 3000 "Likes" and is trying
to raise funds for a possible appeal to the Florida Supreme Court.

Jewish mother Elinor holds up a sign of protest against the
rabbinical court ruling that she must circumcise her son.