Welcome to a vibrant community of Jewish people who believe circumcising healthy children is unnecessary. If this reflects your own views, you’re not alone. Times are changing. Jews of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs are embracing a more open, reflective, and deeply rooted path—one I’ve been committed to for many years: Beyond the Bris.
Beyond the Bris launched on the Blogger platform in 2010 with the inaugural post, Culture More Than Convincing. It still reflects my approach today, one I’ve carried into my other work, including Celebrating Brit Shalom, a ritual guide for non-circumcising Jewish families, and Bruchim, the nonprofit I helped to found and now co-lead to support non-circumcising Jews as they navigate the complexities of Jewish institutional acceptance.
Now On Substack
I brought Beyond the Bris to Substack in 2025 to make the project more accessible and interactive. I encourage you to join our Substack community—but if you prefer the feel of a traditional website, or want to dive into the archives, you can do that here. New posts appear on Substack first and they’re eventually added here, as time allows.
Still going strong after more than 15 years, Beyond the Bris includes essays from guest writers, coverage of news and cultural events, interviews with notable figures, book reviews, retrospectives, videos, and pieces marking the passing of individuals whose work shaped this conversation. All are tied to the theme of Jews questioning circumcision.
Beyond the Bris has been mentioned in New York Times, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Forward, Tablet, Tikkun, Lilith, Daily Mail, The Village Voice, Huffington Post, New York Daily News, and in many other local, national and international outlets.
Beyond the Bris continues to welcome guest submissions. If you have a perspective or story you’d like to share, let’s chat. Please reach out to me at BeyondTheBris at gmail dot com.
Since October 7, 2023, most mainstream outlets have been increasingly reluctant to give a platform to non-circumcising Jewish perspectives. This hesitation isn’t due to a lack of reader interest; in fact, when such pieces do appear, they often draw strong engagement and high readership. But with many publications now relying on reader-supported financial models, there can be a real cost to taking on a controversial subject. Editors may also hesitate to publish essays they fear could be interpreted as undermining Jewish communal interests—concerns that feel especially acute in a period of rising antisemitism.
As such, many Jews who question circumcision find themselves without a forum to share experiences that matter deeply to them. Here, they can. Sharing stories—whether personal, analytical, or reflective—helps bring visibility to experiences that are often kept private and supports a more open, thoughtful conversation within Jewish life.
Beyond the Bris is not partisan and carries no political agenda. Its aim is simply to nurture a Jewish space for honest exploration and authentic expression. Together, we are reshaping what it means to honor Jewish values—justice, compassion, and integrity.
—Rebecca Wald, J.D.