Many men say they’re fine with being circumcised. What if that’s beside the point? In this essay, I use “men” to refer to those with anatomically male bodies. I acknowledge that some people with male or intersex anatomy do not identify as men. Out of concern for readability and coherence, I have opted not to…
Last week, People highlighted Vera, or Faith by Gary Shteyngart in its “31 Books That Made TIME’s 100 Best Books of the Year” list, underscoring how the novel’s timely themes of identity and belonging are resonating broadly. Set in a near-future New York, the novel follows ten-year-old Vera Bradford-Shmulkin, a half-Korean, half-Jewish fifth-grader with an…
Leif Thompson, M.D. presents at the 27th Congress of the World Association for Sexual Health in Brisbane, Australia, on 19 June 2025.
At Beyond the Bris, we’ve long sought to give space to Jewish voices questioning circumcision—not in spite of their Jewish identity, but because of it. Fred is one of those voices: a deeply committed Jew, a critic of circumcision, and a men’s rights advocate with a unique perspective shaped by decades of activism. In this…
In the third episode of The Bruchim Podcast, host Eli Ungar-Sargon engages in a heartfelt conversation with Bruchim’s Co-Founder and President, Lisa Braver Moss, exploring her personal journey from regret to activism regarding Jewish circumcision. Moss recounts her initial discomfort with the tradition, her feelings of coercion, and the subsequent realization that led her to…
“Isn’t being a Jew against circumcision like being a Catholic opposed to communion?” In the inaugural episode of The Bruchim Podcast, Bruchim co-founder and podcast host Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon and guest Max Buckler, Bruchim’s Director of Strategic Initiatives, tackle one of the most misunderstood ideas in Jewish life today: that one can be both Jewish and…
By REBECCA WALD The recent raids in Belgium targeting illegal ritual circumcisions—including the practice of metzitzah b’peh—have understandably raised fears of antisemitism, and it’s essential to take those concerns seriously. But we must also be willing to confront uncomfortable truths that exist within the broader Jewish community. A slew of alarmist articles have been appearing…
By JOE WOLF A Jewish foreskin is a wonderful thing. There are those that signify loving parents who eschewed a barbaric and outdated tradition to leave their son whole in the face of vast social pressure. These are those that the brit shalom movement has helped to protect. And there are those, like mine, that…
“In medical school, they try to prepare you for this. They do. They tell you there’ll be tough decisions, times when you have to hold someone’s fate in your hand, times when you are forced to play God. But nothing really prepares you for times like this. Nothing. — Dr. Joel Fleishman on circumcision …
Editor’s Note: The following article appeared on David’ Balashinsky’s blog on March 28, 2022, and was recently updated, making this the first long-form article addressing the most recent concerns of antisemitism in the genital autonomy community. By DAVID BALASHINSKY — I got involved in “intactivism” (the name by which the cause of eradicating male genital mutilation…
By RYAN McALLISTER — I’ve come to expect defensiveness when I bring up the topic of circumcision. I’ve talked with thousands of people in my small, personal efforts to oppose circumcision in the US, and defensiveness is how nearly everyone responds. And yet, in his newest book and recent posts, Brendon Marotta singles out the…
By REBECCA WALD Antisemitism is on the rise. The Anti-Defamation League reports that across the U.S., antisemitic incidents hit an all-time high in 2021. Tel Aviv University has also reported record-high global antisemitism. Sadly, for many of us in the Jewish community, these trends are more than abstract figures. A few months ago, my own…
Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon created this short film as part of Bruchim’s educational resources. Bruchim is a nonprofit that advocates for non-circumcising Jews and their families. Eliyahu walks us through three texts from the heart of the Rabbinic legal tradition that all deal with the matter of intact(uncircumcised)Jewish boys and men. He demonstrates that contrary to common belief,…
By REBECCA WALD — Sometimes Jewish practice finds itself on a collision course with modern science. How is this handled? Can long-standing Jewish practices evolve? The answer can be found in the life and work of Rabbi Moshe Dovid Tendler who passed away last week at the age of 95. Tendler’s life and legacy have…