Become a Member
Life

Taking the religion out of circumcision

Some secular Jewish parents are opting out of a fundamental ritual of Judaism

February 12, 2009 12:43
A circumcision ceremony in Israel attended by the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu (right). In the UK, some non-religious Jewish parents are dispensing with the services of a mohel and opting to have their sons circumcised by a medical professional

By

Simon Round,

Simon Round

5 min read

In many parts of the world, when couples choose to have a family there is a strong preference for a boy. Not among secular Jewish couples, though. Reform rabbi Jonathan Romain has noticed the opposite preference — they nearly always hope for a girl. It is not that this section of the community has anything against baby boys, but rather that having a girl frees them from the responsibility of worrying about circumcision.

For traditional and religious families, there is no problem. When a boy is born, you call up the mohel who comes along to perform a brit milah on the baby with all due ceremony at the age of eight days.

But what about families who do not observe kashrut and do not attend synagogue? After all, circumcision is a more extreme religious practice than refraining from pork or going to shul. Overwhelmingly, Jewish couples do tend to circumcise their boys, whatever their level of their religious observance. But there is a clear trend towards taking the religion out of the event by having the procedure performed medically rather than ritually.

When Naomi and David Green (not their real names — “David” wished not to reveal the couple’s identity) had a baby boy three and a half months ago, the couple had a decision to make. Naomi explains: “My husband does not have ritual or prayer in his life and did not want a ritual circumcision. I was always very worried about how we were going to compromise. David said he would not feel comfortable having prayers or a rabbi in our home. He just doesn’t talk to God — it would feel hypocritical and alien to him. However, I think because he was circumcised himself, he was happy that our son be circumcised, so thankfully that was a given.”