Jewish Right to Perform Circumcision in San Francisco and in the World

Nadene Goldfoot
The people of San Francisco have 7,700 signatures making it official that a vote will be on the ballot in November outlawing circumcision.  This is a rite given to Jews from bible days in that this brit mila (Hebrew for circumcision) is practiced at the age of 8 days.  Now San Francisco is trying to take our right away with the penalty of $1,000 or a year in jail.  In a city of leftists, I see down right anti-semitism against Jews in this act. 

Because Jews have done this for so long, 80% of the males in the US  have had  it done automatically in the hospital because it was a good surgical technique that saved lives of males.  It has a cleanliness factor.  Suddenly Jews can't do it or be penalized?  What timing ! 

If there are any Jews who don't care to have this procedure done, they don't have to, but in a tight Jewish community it would be considered weird not to.  There would only be a social condemnation in a community where a brit mila ceremony is practiced.   We Jews have no police inspecting children.  It's our choice to do so.  It says much to us, such as our son is a member of our Jewish community.  Even with non-affiliated Jews the parent or parents breathe a sigh of relief when a circumcision is performed in the hospital.  The last people that tried to stop us were the Romans.  So now you're in good company, San Francisco. 

Usually when a boy is born a big party is planned for the brit mila.  A mohel, an orthodox gentleman who is trained to perform the circumcision, does it.  It's also called the "Covenant of Abraham," because this comes from Abraham which was the sign of his covenant with G-d.  It has become our symbol distinguishing the Jew from the idolator.  Of course today many men in the United States have had it done, but it still has this important meaning to us.  Muslims do it to their sons at age 13.  Not doing it is taking away our extremely important right. 

Nobody in this world is forced to have it done.  Why is it necessary to punish Jews who want to do it?  Isn't this an example of coming down hard on the Jewish community?  Is San Francisco trying to make Dhimmis (3rd class citizens) out of Jews like they were in Arab lands? 

Not only are Jews are being discriminated against, but all males in our society.  The choice of having this healthy procedure done is ours, not the government.  This isn't protecting rights.  This is a sneaky way of taking away our rights. 

http://www.religionfacts.com/judaism/cycle/circumcision.htm

http://www.jpost.com/ArtsAndCulture/Entertainment/Article.aspx?ID=222436&R=R1 on Circumcision in San Francisco

 http://online.wsj.com/community/groups/general-forum/topics/should-san-francisco-measure-ban?commentid=2532944

http://www.jpost.com/Cooperations/Google/Default.aspx?q=brit mila,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumcision
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/anti-semitism/Jews_in_Arab_lands_(gen).html
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20058601-10391704.html
 The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia , Geoffrey Wigoder, D. Phil., Editor in chief

Circumcision: Newspaper Confronted With Situations

Nadene Goldfoot
Today's Letters to the Editor in the Oregonian contained two letters about circumcision and the Jewish faith. There is a case of a man who converted to Judaism who wants his 12 year old son to now be circumcised, but his divorced non-Jewish wife is highly against it. The case has gone to the courts have decided to not make a decision as yet, and have not sided with the husband.

Harley Sachs wrote in something that I did not know. Many Russian Jewish immigrants to the states wanted to confirm their Jewishness with circumcision, and it was done in a very simple way. He said, "they simply prick the foreskin and draw a single drop of blood". They do not do it as is done on an 8 day old male baby. Harley stated that going to court was not necessary.

I ask why the father of the boy did not look into this further? His Rabbi should have known these facts. All this publicity that made the front page of the paper a week or so ago could have been avoided.

In the same paper today was another article called, All circumcision "barbaric'. The writer, a man, compares Jewish circumcision with Muslim circumcision of girls and thinks that they are all barbaric practices and can't understand why we condemn the Muslims and embrace the Jewish. He thinks it is duplicity on our part.

I would like to tell him that the reasons for circumcision on the two sexes are completely different and for different reasons. On the girls in the Muslim faith, it is to stop the desire for sex, thus controlling the behavior of the female. On the boys in the Jewish faith, it is similar to baptism, confirming your faith in Judaism, but this practice has been found to be very effective in controlling disease involving the penis in men. This is why it is practiced in the United States. It's been the usual practice of all boy babies here as a matter of cleanliness,and unless a parent disagrees, it is done in the hospital before the baby goes home. In the Jewish faith, it is done on the 8th day of life and includes a big ceremony and party for the family and friends.

It's like this writer is comparing apples and oranges when talking about eating the outside of the fruit. We can eat the apple peel but not the orange. You can't compare the two procedures at all.