Brit mila

'It's our right to live freely as Jews': Belgian Jewish leader on circumcision bans - interview

The conversation came amid rumours that Belgium may look to ban circumcision, which reignited after a public argument between the US ambassador to Belgium, Bill White, and Deputy PM Maxime Prévot.

|ByMATHILDA HELLER
A Belgian national flag flies over the Royal Palace
A Spanish flag flutters in the air as the capital of Spain is seen from the observatory deck of Madrid's city hall August 7, 2013.

I traveled from Israel to Spain to convert new Jews. A single ‘Sababa’ made me feel safer - opinion

No matter how unjustly countries treat Israel and their local Jewish populations, we traveling mohalim must make the journey to ensure our most sacred tradition continues, even on the hardest days.

|ByRABBI HAYIM LEITER/JTA
THE WRITER, second from left, performs a circumcision in the presence of four generations, great-grandfather to newborn. Just as much as the Jewish people have continuously kept the commandment of circumcision, the practice has preserved our identity, he asserts.

Haaretz’s claims on brit milah: Separating fact from misconception - opinion

That this family continues to have a strong connection to our nation, history, and customs speaks to how brit milah – unchanged itself across millennia – continues to preserve the Jewish people.

|ByHAYIM LEITER
Author Gary Shteyngart holds a cucumber in the short documentary "The Man Who Got Cut Wrong."

Gary Shteyngart reflects on his botched bris in a new short film

Told with humor, sensitivity, and pain, the 20-minute film — shot almost entirely in black and white — is directed by Dana Ben-Ari.

|ByJACKIE HAJDENBERG/JTA

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I tend to use the word “barbaric” when describing adult circumcision.

OCTOBER 21, 2017ByHAYIM LEITER
A RABBI prepares for a circumcision.