|
||||
|
QUESTIONING
CIRCUMCISION
A Jewish Perspective
Ronald Goldman, Ph.D.
Foreword by Rabbi Raymond Singer, Ph.D.
144 pages • illustrated • bibliography • index VANGUARD PUBLICATIONS, trade paper ISBN 0964489562
![]() |
QUESTIONING CIRCUMCISION: A JEWISH PERSPECTIVE is
the first critical examination of the growing controversy of male
infant circumcision with special attention to contemporary concerns of
the Jewish community. Endorsed by five rabbis, this extraordinary book
examines the origins, assumed benefits, risks, and unrecognized
consequences of the Jewish practice with thorough documentation and
moving personal experiences. Consider these facts:
|
“Dr. Goldman has
written a thoughtful, provocative book on a difficult subject. He
challenges us to reexamine long-held assumptions and to reconsider the
practice of milah (ritual circumcision) in light of
contemporary evidence. By giving us an insightful and carefully
documented exploration of a controversial perspective, Dr. Goldman
helps to foster a healthy and valuable dialogue within the Jewish
community.”
—Rabbi
Jonathan Kraus,
Beth El Temple Center |
“If you are a
liberal Jew, whether you see circumcision as the sanctification of the
covenant, as a ceremony marking you as a Jew, or otherwise, this book
stimulates deeper reflection about the practice. As an aware,
concerned, and introspective people, Jews must examine whether our
rites are right. We must determine if our ceremonies, traditions, and
practices reflect our innermost beliefs. Asking ourselves and each
other the question 'Why?' is one of the most sacred tasks to which a
modern Jew can dedicate himself or herself.”
—Rabbi
Donald Pollock,
pastoral psychotherapist, writer, and lecturer |
Ronald Goldman, Ph.D., is a researcher, educator, and
executive director of the Circumcision Resource Center in Boston, a
nonprofit educational organization. He gives lectures and seminars on
circumcision and provides consultation to expectant parents and
circumcised men. As the author of Circumcision: The Hidden Trauma,
Dr. Goldman has been a featured guest on local and national radio and
television shows and has been cited in numerous newspapers and
periodicals. Foreword Generally, we circumcise our sons without really knowing the effects of what we are doing. We prefer to think of circumcision as a trivial matter. We believe that because it has been done for so many years by so many, that it must be harmless. This book eloquently and effectively questions these assumptions. For the first time, Questioning Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective provides the Jewish community with a clear, rational, and sensitive examination of this practice. Dr. Goldman discusses all the aspects of Jewish circumcision that would be of interest to most Jews. I learned a lot from reading this book. In recent years researchers have discovered much about infants and the effects of surgical procedures on them. (Whether there is a religious ritual or not, circumcision is a surgical procedure.) There is also evidence that infant circumcision can have long-term effects lasting even into adulthood. Dr. Goldman presents this new information in a lucid, well-documented discussion. Questioning Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective is not just the view of one person. It contains the words of dozens of Jews, including rabbis past and present, who question circumcision. There are many compelling statements made by those who have witnessed circumcisions and have been circumcised. Their words and feelings give us reason to pause and reflect. The author's psychological approach to the topic is especially valuable. It is exactly what we need to take a close look not only at ritual circumcision, but also at ourselves. With insight, understanding, and compassion, this book answers questions we have been afraid to ask, and asks questions that have not yet occurred to us. For some readers, the contents of this book will confirm what you have felt for decades. For others, this book will challenge much of what you believe. Whatever your feelings are regarding circumcision, this book can affect you profoundly. Questioning Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective speaks for many more of us than we are willing to admit. It performs a great service to Jews because it opens a long overdue discussion. I agree with Dr. Goldman that questioning circumcision will ultimately benefit and strengthen the Jewish community. I highly recommend Questioning Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective particularly to expectant mothers and fathers early in their pregnancy so that they may have ample time to ponder its contents. I also recommend it to rabbis who counsel on the merits of circumcision, so they can offer a more informed perspective on this ritual. —Rabbi Raymond Singer, Ph.D.
QUESTIONING CIRCUMCISION: A JEWISH PERSPECTIVE is of particular interest to
|
Order Now
What people are saying about
QUESTIONING CIRCUMCISION:
A JEWISH PERSPECTIVE
“Thorough, moving,
convincing, and of staggering importance. I believe this book will
change Judaism for the better.”
—Michael
Koran, Jewish educator
|
“Jewish circumcision has
traditionally been the province of males. This groundbreaking book
sheds new light on the issue by also including women's views and
feelings about circumcision.”
—Rabbi
Lynn Gottlieb,
Nahalat Shalom Congregation |
“For thousands of years we
have ceremoniously circumcised our sons without knowing or honestly
considering how this practice affects the child. In this book, Ronald
Goldman presents us with compelling new information that we can't
ignore.”
—Rabbi
Beverly Lerner,
psychotherapist |
“Goldman's analysis of
Jewish reluctance to discuss circumcision is right on the mark. The
collective Jewish psyche will benefit from confronting circumcision
anxieties and myths. This book will facilitate that process and should
lead to more than a few changes of heart and mind.”
—Dr.
Richard Schwartzman,
psychiatrist |
“A bold, compassionate,
and powerful critique of Jewish circumcision. With revealing new
research, Goldman calls attention to the unrecognized physical and
psychological effects connected with this procedure.”
—Myron
Sharaf, Ph.D., lecturer and author,
Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School |
“The information in this
book was the most comprehensive we found. It was very useful in our
decision not to circumcise. And after my father read it, he said he
could really understand our feelings. I am certain that we made the
right decision.”
—Aviva
Furman,
mother of uncircumcised son |
Reader's Comments
Voices from QUESTIONING CIRCUMCISION:
A JEWISH PERSPECTIVE
“If a woman is made to
distrust her most basic instinct to protect her newborn child, what
feelings can she ever trust?”
—Miriam
Pollack,
mother of two circumcised sons |
“My son screamed.
Unmistakable screams of pain. Sounds I'd never heard from him before. .
. . I was in a state of shock.”
—Victor
Schonfeld,
father of circumcised son |
“I experienced my doubts
privately and without comfort. . . . Thus, a rite intended to inspire
feelings of Jewish unity evoked in me a sense of loss and
alienation.”
—Lisa
Braver Moss,
mother of circumcised son |
“I fell in love with my
son the first seven days. There was no way we were going to hurt him. .
. . We got respect for putting our values into practice.”
—Moshe
Rothenberg,
father of uncircumcised son |
“Every time I change his
diaper, I feel so good that we didn't do it.”
—Dana
Parmes-Katz,
mother of uncircumcised son |
“Although uncircumcised, I
am a very proud Jew, with a very strong sense of Jewish identity, and
never hesitate to affirm my Jewish identity to Jew and non-Jew
alike.”
—Alan
Altmann,
uncircumcised Jew |
“When I explained
circumcision to him, his face took on a frightened expression as he
cupped his hands over his genitals and loudly declared, 'That is never
going to happen to me!'”
—Rosemary
Romberg,
relating the response of her seven-year-old uncircumcised son |
TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
Foreword | |
Introduction | |
1. Origins and Background | |
History; Anthropological and Psychological Explanations; Circumcision Has Not Always Been Practiced; Changing the Circumcision Procedure | |
2. Assumed Benefits | |
Jewish Survival and Identity; Conformity; Health Claims | |
3. Risks: Opinion versus Research | |
Pain; Behavioral Changes Following Circumcision; Trauma; Complications | |
4. Unrecognized Consequences | |
Sexual Impact; Psychological Effects | |
5. Personal Experiences | |
Parents Who Circumcised Their Son; Parents Who Did Not Circumcise; “Something Just Came Over Me”; Childhood Memories of Being at a Bris | |
6. Conflicts and Questions | |
Reason, Knowledge, and Understanding; Ethics and Human Rights Considerations; Jewish Culture and Male-Female Relationships | |
7. Preventing More Pain | |
Breaking the Silence; Circumcision in Perspective; Exploring Thoughts and Feelings; Next Steps; Potential Benefits of Forgoing Circumcision | |
Appendix A My Experience with Circumcision | |
Appendix B One Woman’s Learning Process | |
Appendix C Discussion following “The Circumcision Debate” | |
Appendix D A Response to Traditionalists | |
Appendix E Circumcision and Anti-Semitism | |
Appendix F Precautions for Parents of Intact Boys | |
Appendix G Alternative Rituals | |
Notes | |
Bibliography | |
Index |
Home | Contact Us | Join Us | Information Summary | Featured Article | Media Reports | Women's Perspective | Book | Order | Alternative Rituals | Beyond Anti-Semitism | Nonreligious Circumcision |