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| View Larger Image | Questioning Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective | Paperbackby Ronald Goldman (Author)
| List Price: | $17.95 | | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| | Binding: | Paperback | | Publisher: | Vanguard Publications | | Page Count: | 132 Pages | | Publication Date: | September 01, 1997 | | Sales Rank: | 189,609th |
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FEATURES | - ISBN13: 9780964489561
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
Endorsed by five rabbis, 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 Jews. Consider these facts: Circumcision is not universal among Jews. Jewish press articles have questioned circumcision. A male child born of a Jewish mother is a Jew, whether he is circumcised or not. Jewish circumcision has never had anything to do with health concerns. Circumcision conflicts with significant Jewish laws and values. An Israeli organization publicly opposes circumcision. The circumcision debate in the Jewish community is visible and growing. An increasing number of Jews are choosing not to circumcise their sons. Yet for those Jews who are expecting a child and who want to explore their options, support for not circumcising their son can still be relatively hard to find. The purpose of this book is to offer a clear understanding of what circumcision involves, to raise awareness about various concerns, to encourage Jews to take another look at our assumptions and feelings about circumcision, and to help resolve deep ethical, intellectual, and emotional conflicts. Though many readers will probably be expecting a child, the larger Jewish community may also recognize a need for considering some of the questions raised here. The practice of circumcision really concerns all of us. According to the Council of Jewish Federations 1990 National (American) Jewish Population Survey, "ninety percent define being Jewish as being a member of a cultural or ethnic group." Less than half associated their Jewish identity with religion. Only 13 percent believe "the Torah is the actual word of God." According to the survey, the general trend is away from traditional Judaism and toward a nontraditional approach. Questioning Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective is written from a nontraditional viewpoint and is intended particularly for nontraditional Jews. It addresses the main concerns that nontraditional Jews are examining. This book is intended to stimulate further discussion on this important subject. We owe it to our children to educate ourselves and do what is best for them. (For those who choose not to circumcise their son, the Appendix includes examples of alternative rituals.) 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. Neuropsychologist |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 6 reviews)
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Interesting, but I think erroneous. by C. J. Landau  1 Stars
December 07, 2006
If there was one thing that Jews of ALL "denominations" practiced until recently, regardless of level of observance, it was bris milah. I myself have had a milah, and trust me, I have suffered ZERO psychological, physical, sexual, or any other "harms". I agree with the author's right to express his feelings about this, but some things (mitzvot) you just don't discard and still call yourself a Jew. And do we have the "ethical right" to circumcise ? I think it's a MORAL OBLIGATION, and thousands of years of Jewish history are on my side. Goldman's argument is a good one, but one that I think is just very un-Jewish. It would be like not requiring the mikvah for conversions either. If one leaves out the most important rules to "join the team", then the new "member" isn't really a member,are they ?
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An intelligent eye-opener  5 Stars
February 22, 2000
Having chosen not to circumcise my son, and being an observant Reform Jew, I found Doctor Goldman's book to be incredibly instructional. He opens the door to a thoughtful introspection on the question of circumcision in the Jewish world. A difficult, almost taboo subject, we find that Jews, as a constantly evolving and forever questioning people, need to look circumcision in the face and sincerely question its validity. Circumcision continues to be performed even if there are many reasons for one not to practice it. Goldman's precise examination of circumcision brings us to question not only the Historical and religious aspects of this tradition, but also to look at the medical and sexual facts. Finally, the author exposes the psychological and ethical consequences of such an act. For example: are we ethically entitled to alter the genitals of our infant sons? Have they given us permission to do so? What psychological consequences can circumcision have on these infants? How about their mothers? What do men who were circumcised as adults have to say about the psychological and sexual changes they experienced? A professional and thorought examination, "Questioning Circumcision, a Jewish Perspective" is a brilliant analysis that one will find extremely educational and...easy to read!
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Groundbreaking, Insightful, Courageous Book 5 Stars
January 19, 2000
Ronald Goldman's second book, Questioning Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective, follows on the heels of his masterpiece Circumcision: The Hidden Trauma. While the earlier book provided a stunning, magisterial overview of the entire subject of circumcision, this slimmer volume focuses on a more specialized analysis of the procedure from a Jewish point of view. Goldman again succeeds at integrating emotional, psychological,scientific, and humanistic considerations while surveying the great diversity of attitudes held toward this procedure among Jews. He reveals and meticulously documents a number of surprising facts which contravene widely held beliefs about the subject. Far from enjoying a consensus within the Jewish community, circumcision has not always been practiced by all Jews. As early as the 1840's, leaders of the Reform movement tried to stop circumcision. In the 1860's, a group of sixty-six Jewish physicians opposed the practice. The procedure as performed today in the United States is much more extensive than the original circumcisions, which merely removed the very tip of the foreskin. These changes and conflicts suggest that the supposed Jewish mandate for circumcision may be suspect.Goldman discusses and questions a number of suggested benefits to Jewish males of the procedure. Although many believe circumcision necessary for Jewish survival and identity, under Jewish law, any child born of a Jewish mother is a Jew, whether circumcised or not. While the procedure is often suggested to promote connection with other Jews, Goldman notes that the extreme discomfort and anxiety often provoked by circumcision may actually inhibit connection. Crisply summarizing some of the highlights from his earlier book, Goldman notes that health claims are highly speculative at best, and pain research has proven the extreme trauma suffered by the infant boy. Behavioral changes have been documented to follow most circumcisions, as boys become very irritable and interruption occurs to parent-infant bonding and feeding schedules.Goldman writes that unrecognized consequences of the procedure may include promotion of a negative attitude to male sexuality. The personal stories by circumcised men and by mothers and fathers are quite moving. Some parents came to deeply regret their decision to circumcise while others feel gratified that they reached eleventh-hour determinations not to carry out the procedure.Goldman takes the offensive later in the book, suggestion that the Torah's commandment against assaulting another person actually forbids circumcision. He notes that blind conformance to authority is antithetical to Jewish values, and many potential benefits of foregoing circumcision exist. An appendix contains Goldman's response to traditionalist supporters of the procedure, which is drawn entirely from passages in the Torah.Future research needs to be carried out in accordance with his insightful suggestion that many Jewish men may harbor anger toward Jewish women due to their circumcisions, for which they may subconsciously hold their mothers primarily responsible. From the infant's perspective, Goldman notes, he is experiencing betrayal by his mother at a most vulnerable time in his life. Goldman includes several useful appendices including two mothers' stories, a discussion of circumcision and anti-Semitism, and sample alternative rituals in which the baby's foreskin is not touched. Ronald Goldman has gifted us with his second tightly reasoned, impeccably documented, and heartfully written book about a procedure which should be of concern to all men and women who care about children or society, whatever your faith may be.
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A must-read for Jewish parents and parents-to-be. 5 Stars
July 13, 1999
Dr. Goldman provides ample and compelling proof that conscientious Jews are justified in questioning circumcision, and leaving their sons intact. As Dr. Goldman demonstrates, medical evidence purporting to show the benefits of routine infant circumcision have, in the last few years, been thoroughly disproven. Further studies have also shown that circumcision, far from being a harmless and painless procedure, is one of the most painful procedures that can be performed on an infant and has potentially far-reaching detrimental physical and psychological consequences.Dr. Goldman points out that an ever growing movement among Jews, seeking more compassionate and just rituals with which to welcome our new-born sons, are seriously considering the moral and spiritual dilemma surrounding circumcision brought about by the weight of this medical evidence. This growing, grass-roots movement among Jews is creating a variety of new rituals that celebrate the birth of Jewish baby boys without subjecting them to needless pain and suffering. With medical evidence proving the merits of leaving our sons uncircumcised, and spiritual evidence demonstrating that leaving our sons uncircumcised is entirely congruent with Jewish ethics, Jewish parents-to-be no longer need to feel the secret dread accompanying the birth of a boy. In dispensing with painful rites of circumcision in favor of painless and loving ceremonies, the birth of Jewish baby, boy or girl, can be a truely joyous event.
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Dr. Goldman gives voice to suppressed feelings  4 Stars
June 18, 1999
As a Jewish mother of a circumcised son, I didn't dare question the unquestionable. At the time I didn't know there were any Jews who did? However, the doubts were there, lurking under the surface but I was embarrassed to speak about them. I heard about Dr. Goldman's book and after reading it, I had the courage to acknowledge that we as a people are being violated on many levels by this ritual.Dr. Goldman points out in his book that there are many Jewish rituals outlined in the Bible which have been abandoned in the course of history. We are not a fundamentalist religion. We have an oral and living tradition and our beliefs have constantly evolved. Indeed there is cause to question performing uneccessary surgery on infants in the name of religion or social custom. Part of coming to this realization is also understanding that our American culture notwithstanding, it is not a pathological condition to be born male. Immediate surgical correction is not medically neccessary. Many might find it appalling to compare ritual female circumcision in Africa to Jewish male circumision but we are blinded to the similarities due to widespread ignorance of the normal male anatomy. Dr. Goldman touches on the religious, medical, social and psychological aspects of this prodecure in a way that has never been attempted before. I highly recommend the book to those willing to have an open mind on something they may have always thought was a non-issue.
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SIMILAR PRODUCTS |
| Circumcision, The Hidden Trauma : How an American Cultural Practice Affects Infants and Ultimately Us All
by Ronald Goldman (Author)
Circumcision: The Hidden Trauma is the first intensive exploration of the unrecognized psychological and social effects of this American cultural practice. The book has been endorsed by dozens of professionals in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, child development, pediatrics, obstetrics, childbirth education, sociology, and anthropology. Plain facts and recent research results revealed in the book conflict with popular beliefs and raise serious questions. Goldman's application...
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| Marked in Your Flesh: Circumcision from Ancient Judea to Modern America
by Leonard B. Glick (Author)
The book of Genesis tells us that God made a covenant with Abraham, promising him a glorious posterity on the condition that he and all his male descendents must be circumcised. For thousands of years thereafter, the distinctive practice of circumcision served to set the Jews apart from their neighbors. The apostle Paul rejected it as a worthless practice, emblematic of Judaism's fixation on physical matters. Christian theologians followed his lead, arguing that whereas Christians sought...
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| Circumcision: A History of the World's Most Controversial Surgery
by David Gollaher (Author), David L. Gollaher (Author)
This worldwide history of circumcision, from ancient times to the present, looks at the procedure as initiation, religious and social ritual, and indicator of ethnic and social status. How has a medical practice that carries substantial risk to the patient and offers very little actual benefit become so widely accepted by parents and fiercely advocated by the medical community? Historian of medicine David Gollaher tells the strange history of medicine's oldest enigma and most persistent ritual...
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| A Surgical Temptation: The Demonization of the Foreskin and the Rise of Circumcision in Britain
by Robert Darby (Author)
In the eighteenth century, the Western world viewed circumcision as an embarrassing disfigurement peculiar to Jews. A century later, British doctors urged parents to circumcise their sons as a routine precaution against every imaginable sexual dysfunction, from syphilis and phimosis to masturbation and bed-wetting. Thirty years later the procedure again came under hostile scrutiny, culminating in its disappearance during the 1960s.
Why Britain adopted a practice it had traditionally...
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| Covenant of Blood: Circumcision and Gender in Rabbinic Judaism (Chicago Studies in the History of Judaism)
by Lawrence A. Hoffman (Author)
Central to both biblical narrative and rabbinic commentary, circumcision has remained a defining rite of Jewish identity, a symbol so powerful that challenges to it have always been considered taboo. Lawrence Hoffman seeks to find out why circumcision holds such an important place in the Jewish psyche. He traces the symbolism of circumcision through Jewish history, examining its evolution as a symbol of the covenant in the post-exilic period of the Bible and its subsequent meaning in the...
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