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There is little awareness among Jews of the serious,
unrecognized harm of circumcision. (Please see links "Featured
Article" and "Nonreligious
Circumcision" for more information.) Because of this
general lack of awareness and communication, the Jewish
Circumcision Resource Center was founded. (JCRC is a section
of the Circumcision Resource
Center.) We represent Jews around the
world who question circumcision (bris or brit milah). Our
primary intended audience is non-traditional Jews, those Jews
who generally evaluate an idea not solely based on its
conformance with the Torah, but also in light of its agreement
with reason and experience. They believe that Jewish practice
must be consistent with what they think and feel.
The arguments in favor of circumcision are familiar and
readily available. Previous writing on Jewish circumcision has
been totally supportive of the practice. It has been rare that
writing on Jewish circumcision has mentioned, let alone
elaborated on, arguments against the practice. Because the
reasons to question circumcision are not well known, they are
the focus here. We urge visitors to seriously consider these
reasons with an open mind rather than just to react to our
position. Readers are encouraged to seek other sources of
information and then come to their own conclusions. For a more
complete and detailed discussion of questioning Jewish
circumcision, see the book Questioning
Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective by Ronald Goldman,
Ph.D.
One purpose of the Jewish Circumcision Resource Center is
to make known to the Jewish community that there is a growing
number of Jews who either have not circumcised their son or
would choose not to circumcise a future son. It is an
opportunity for Jews who take this position to declare
themselves and to be counted. A confidential list of Jews who
contact the Jewish Circumcision Resource Center for this
purpose is maintained. The response has been substantial. We
have over 400 names representing various countries on file. It
is also important to inform the general public, media sources,
and professionals of the existence of Jews who do not
circumcise. Dispelling the myth outside of the Jewish
community that all Jews circumcise will help to support and
expand the American and international circumcision debate.
Another purpose of the Jewish Circumcision Resource Center
is to gather and disseminate information to interested Jews
about the experiences of those who choose to keep their
children intact and whole. This information will add to the
growing understanding and acceptance of alternatives to
circumcision in the Jewish community.
We raise questions about Jewish circumcision with the
understanding that these questions may cause feelings ranging
from mild discomfort to extreme grief or anger in some
individuals. We empathize with and respect these feelings. We
also acknowledge the profound place that circumcision has in
Jewish tradition and practice. However, we are compelled to
break the silence that supports circumcision and raise these
questions out of deep caring and compassion for Jews generally
and Jewish male infants in particular. Our concerns are specific to circumcision and do not extend
to other Jewish practices and beliefs. We see Jews inflicting
extreme unrecognized pain with this practice, and we judge
that the perpetuation of this pain is far greater than the
pain that comes with confronting the issues we raise. Based on
our contacts with hundreds of Jews who do not circumcise in
the United States and in countries around the world, there is
growing support for this view. We do not underestimate the
difficulty in facing these questions and doubts, but the
traumatic cries (or quiet shock) of the infants have been
ignored far too long. Many Jews are beginning to listen and
feel the intense pain of the children and the generally denied
pain of the adults that they become.
We trust that the enduring Jewish values of ethics and
education will lead more Jews to the realization that
circumcision does not serve the best interests of the child or
the community of Jews. | 
