By AMY SOULE Then God said to Abraham, “You must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be…
DetailsBy ERAN SADEH Shalom. I’m Israeli, I’m Jewish and I’m an Intactivist, which means I strive to end male circumcision performed on infants and children in Israel and around the world. My journey to Intactivism began seven years ago when my son was born. My wife and I had no doubts about circumcision. Although I…
DetailsBy RONALD GOLDMAN A German court in Cologne recently ruled that circumcising young boys represents grievous bodily harm. The court found the childs “fundamental right to bodily integrity” was more important than the parents rights. According to the court, the religious freedom “would not be unduly impaired” because the child could later decide whether to…
DetailsBy KAREN RANZI I was born in Newark NJ at Beth Israel Hospital in the 1950s and was raised in Livingston NJ. My parents were Jewish. My father always taught me to question, and so throughout my life I have questioned all that has come before me to make sure I am following what I…
DetailsBy REBECCA WALDNovelist and Beyond the Bris contributor Lisa Braver Moss has written a powerful essay for the Huffington Post on metzitzah b’peh, which is practiced by some Orthodox mohelsduring the bris. As a direct result of the ritual, several New York infants contracted the herpes virus. Two died and two suffered permanent brain damage.…
DetailsBy REBECCA WALD Author and lecturer Karen Ranziat Nuage Cafe in Parkland Florida. In her new book Creating Healthy Children: Through Attachment Parenting and Raw Foods(2012) Jewish author, lecturer and mom Karen Ranzi combines two subjects that are close to her heart in an informative compendium of sound parenting advice and great raw food recipes…
DetailsBy REBECCA WALD The question of whether to circumcise is front and center in the new film “What to Expect When You’re Expecting ” which has an all-star cast that includes Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Matthew Morrison, Chris Rock, and Dennis Quaid. The comedy-drama (heavier on the comedy) follows five expectant couples as they prepare…
DetailsBy NATALIE BIVAS Twenty-five years ago my husband and I did something few Jewish parents had. We held a brit shalom ceremony for our son as opposed to a brit milah. We invited guests without saying there would be no circumcision. Dr. Dean Edell (who is Jewish and opposed to circumcision) sent a camera crew…
DetailsSocial activist and New Yorker Jonathan Friedman has recently published a “zine” on male infant circumcision titled “Genital Autonomy: Why Circumcision Must Be Stopped.” This is a significant project because it is introducing a wide audience to the harms of circumcision in an innovative way—and also in a way that is, at the same time,…
DetailsSome young Jewish men thinking ahead to fatherhood have decided theywill reject circumcision for their sons while also embracing their Jewishness. By AL RUBENSTEIN I am 21 years old, Jewish, and opposed to circumcision. I attend college in Indiana. I grew up in a small Southern town where my family was one of a handful…
DetailsBy MOSHE ROTHENBERG Using his voice for good: In additionto performing brit shalom celebrations,Moshe Rothenberg sings to benefitsocial causes. Above he performs in aNYC benefit for the people of Darfur. The Jewish opposition to circumcision was just beginning 24 years ago when my wife Yehudit and I decided to leave our newborn son intact. We were not the…
DetailsBy REBECCA WALD Jewish mother and actress Mayim Bialik has just released her new book on attachment parenting titled Beyond the Sling. I applaud her work in bringing sound natural parenting principles to a broad audience. Mayim’s down-to-earth and straightforward exposition of attachment parenting will resonate with many of today’s parents, and parents-to-be, who are…
DetailsCouples in crisis: whether to circumcise a child can become a contentiousissue, regardless of religion. If it is important to you, discuss your circumcision stance before getting into a serious relationship. By SAMARA COLLE The birth of my twin sons two years ago changed me forever. I discovered a passion and an intense female power that I had no…
DetailsRabbi Steven Blane By REBECCA WALDHeads up on a new Intact News article that quotes five rabbis who perform peaceful Jewish welcoming ceremonies and also believe the time has come for Jews to abolish circumcision. These Rabbis represent a range of Jewish movements and include influential Jewish Studies scholar Howard Eilberg-Schwartz and Rabbi Steven Blane,…
DetailsNo-circ book signed by Stern. By REBECCA WALDAn anti-circumcision satire book, autographed on its cover by Jewish circumcision critic Howard Stern, is being auctioned off on eBay in time for holiday gift giving. The book, I Want My Foreskin For Giftmas, was brought to Stern’s studio by guest Ron Low back in March. Low, who…
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