By REBECCA WALD — A few weeks ago I traveled to northern California to attend the brit shalom of the grandson of my friend and colleague Lisa Braver Moss. It was a magical day full of spiritual and personal significance. The ceremony the family chose came from the book, Celebrating Brit Shalom, which Lisa and I co-authored…
By YAKOV ZISSER — I was born in Siberia, Russia, in 1957. My parents and grandparents were originally Latvian Jews. As an independent country, Latvia had a small Jewish population where Jews had schools and participated in culture and politics. However the Soviets occupied Latvia in 1940. On the eve of Germany’s invasion of Latvia, in…
Forgive me, but I am getting more than a little tired of reading the myriad “heartwarming” stories about how brit milah is carrying on despite the Covid-19 pandemic. About how loved ones far and wide now watch the cutting take place on Zoom, and how mohels are donning surgical masks. To counter these trite pieces…
Many of us grew up hearing that circumcision is “just a snip,” the removal of “a little extra piece of skin,” “no big deal,” and “healthier.” Did you grow up hearing these things? If so, it’s only natural for you to believe them—especially when you haven’t been exposed to any evidence to the contrary. When…
Robert S. (Zalman Shaul) Mendelsohn, M.D. (1926-1988) was a practicing American pediatrician who authored several bestselling books on healthcare, appeared on TV and radio, and wrote a syndicated medical advice column. Beloved by many for his practical advice, Mendelsohn encouraged people to take a judicious approach to their medical care. He was a proponent of…
An Israeli anti-circumcision group will take their message to the steps of the Danish embassy. September 14, 2020Danish parliament is scheduled to vote on a bill that would prohibit parents from circumcising boys. It’s already illegal in Denmark to cut the genitals of minor girls for religious reasons. The goal of the bill is humanitarian in…
© 2019 Getty Images GUEST CONTRIBUTION As the victim of an Orthodox Jewish bris, I am sharing my story to hopefully convince others to spare their children this trauma. Given my religious upbringing, a bris was considered a normal event and not something to be hidden. As a child, I was told how the mohel came over to…
Rabbi Nathan (Natan) Segal, one of the first American rabbis known to conduct naming ceremonies without circumcision for Jewish male infants, died on July 23, 2019, surrounded by family. He was a staunch opponent of brit milah and wrote passionately against the practice. Rabbi Natan Segal Born in Chicago in 1949, Segal was an ordained rabbi and…
By REBECCA WALD Earlier this week, Rabbi Tzvee Zahavy penned a fascinating and important piece on the trend of Jews forgoing circumcision for their sons. Rabbi Tzvee Zahavy, Ph.D. “I observe that it is trendy now in some progressive communities in Israel not to circumcise baby boys,” Zahavy writes, noting he has “a devout Jewish friend who…
A must-see video for Jewish parents wondering if — and how — their non-circumcising family will be accepted in Jewish congregational life.
When circumcision critic Lisa Braver Moss learned that half the boys attending her synagogue preschool had not been circumcised, she was stunned. Soon after, Lisa discovered that even some rabbis were secretly choosing to leave their boys intact. In this short but groundbreaking new video, Lisa Braver Moss uncovers the “don’t ask/don’t tell” policies that…
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.…
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…
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…
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…