fullscreen

eFinder

eFinder

Home › Jewish Identity and Legal Protection › Article

To save Jewish circumcision, we must end a controversial practice | The Jerusalem Post

Jpost · · 1367 words · By JONATHAN LIEBERMAN
Jewish Identity and Legal Protection Halachic Interpretation Religious Tradition vs. Medical Safety
headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing
Ready to play
Daily briefing

What to know about Jewish Identity and Legal Protection

For more than 35 years, I have had the privilege of serving as a mohel.

Claims checked 7
Techniques found 4
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

For more than 35 years, I have had the privilege of serving as a mohel.

Why it matters

I have stood with thousands of families at one of the most moving and ancient moments in Jewish life: the entry of a baby boy into the covenant of Avraham, our forefather.

Common ground

A brit milah is not merely a ceremony; it is an act of identity, continuity, faith, and belonging.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Fear, Black-and-White Fallacy: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-897637

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 4 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Appeal to Fear 80% confidence
Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to fear helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Black-and-White Fallacy 70% confidence
Presenting only two options when more exist.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing black-and-white fallacy helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Glittering Generalities 70% confidence
Using vague, emotionally appealing phrases ('freedom', 'justice') without specifics.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing glittering generalities helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 7 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 3
check_circle Corroborated 3
verified Verified 1
info
Claim 1: “In England, the Initiation Society – the organization of mohalim – has long made clear in its own rules that metzitzah should not be performed by direct oral contact.”
SINGLE SOURCE
Only one relevant source (The Jewish Press) mentions the UK Initiation Society in the context of circumcision and metzitzah b'peh. The other Wikipedia results provided are for unrelated 'initiation' rituals (Mafia, dining clubs, etc.) and do not confirm the society's specific rules.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — To become a member of the Mafia or Cosa Nostra (both the original Sicilian Mafia or the Italian-American offshoot often known as the "American Mafia")—to become a "man of honor" or a "made man"—an asp…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initiation_ritual_(mafia)
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Piers Gaveston Society, or Piers Gav for short, is a dining club founded in 1977 at the University of Oxford. It is named in honour of Piers Gaveston, favourite of King Edward II of England. In re…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piers_Gaveston_Society
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Rosicrucianism () is a spiritual and cultural movement influenced by Esoteric Christianity and Hermeticism that arose in early modern Europe in the early 17th century after the publication of several …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosicrucianism
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 2: “Reports that Belgian prosecutors are pursuing charges against mohalim”
CORROBORATED
Two independent sources (Instagram post citing Belgian officials and a report on the US Ambassador's reaction) confirm that Jewish mohels in Belgium are facing criminal charges for performing circumcisions without a medical license.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Feb 16, 2026 ... Accusations against three mohels for acting without medical license are 'antisemitic,' Bill White says; European Commission also seeking a ...
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-ambassador-to-belgium-urges…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Laws restricting, regulating, or banning circumcision, some dating back to ancient times, have been enacted in many countries and communities. In the case ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumcision_and_law
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 7, 2026 ... Jewish mohels in Belgium are facing criminal charges for simply performing circumcisions—but the real indictment is on the country's growing ...
https://www.instagram.com/p/DYB8nxRk5Ho/
verified
Claim 3: “Metzitzah... was introduced by the rabbis as part of the post-circumcision management of the wound.”
VERIFIED
Multiple sources (Wikipedia and NYC.gov) describe metzitzah as a ritual part of the circumcision process used to remove blood from the wound.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The brit milah or bris (Yiddish: ברית, romanized: bris ), is the ceremony of circumcision in Judaism and Samaritanism during which a newborn male's foreskin ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brit_milah
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Metzitzah b'peh is when the mohel uses their mouth to suck blood away from the baby's circumcision wound as part of the circumcision ritual. After metzitzah b' ...
https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/safe-bris.…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Sep 5, 2012 ... The mohel repeatedly takes wine in his mouth and applies his lips to the wound, after which he spits the mixture of blood and wine into a ...
https://www.thehastingscenter.org/ritual-circumcision-ban-me…
check_circle
Claim 4: “Public-health authorities have repeatedly warned of the risk of herpes transmission through direct oral suction.”
CORROBORATED
Three independent authoritative sources (CDC, NIH/PMC, and NYC.gov) explicitly warn that direct oral suction (metzitzah b'peh) can transmit herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) to infants.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Weekly. June 8, 2012 / 61(22);405-409. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection commonly causes "cold sores" (HSV type 1 [HSV-1]) and genital herpes (HSV-1 or ...
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6122a2.htm
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The health department says the practice led to the death of one newborn boy from herpes simplex type 1 and caused brain damage in another. Seven cases of herpes ...
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1336756/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Public health experts have found that metzitzah b'peh can put babies at risk of getting a harmful virus called herpes simplex virus type 1 or HSV-1. Some of ...
https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/safe-bris.…
info
Claim 5: “Many mohalim today use a sterile pipette or tube [for metzitzah].”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence consists of dictionary definitions for the word 'some' and does not contain any information regarding the use of pipettes or tubes by mohalim.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 2, 2026 · When some is used without a number, most commentators feel that somewhat is to be preferred. Their advice is an oversimplification, however; only when some modifies an adjective, usually…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/some
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — It'll be some time before we meet again. It was some years later when they next met. We discussed the problem at some length.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/some
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — SOME definition: being an undetermined or unspecified one. See examples of some used in a sentence.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/some
check_circle
Claim 6: “Neonatal herpes... can cause serious neurological injury and, in some cases, death.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple medical sources (Cleveland Clinic, NIH/PMC, and a neurological study) confirm that neonatal HSV can lead to brain damage, neurological consequences, and death.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jul 8, 2023 ... Neonatal HSV infection is a rare but serious condition that can have significant neurological consequences.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10406570/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 28, 2024 ... It can cause a widespread infection that affects your baby's major organs, including their brain. Prompt treatment gives your baby the best ...
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/neonatal-herp…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Feb 18, 2025 ... Very early exposure to even a very small dose of herpes simplex virus (HSV) in infant mice can lead to cognitive decline later in life.
https://geiselmed.dartmouth.edu/news/2025/new-research-shows…
info
Claim 7: “The mitzvah of brit milah consists of the removal of the foreskin, milah, and the peeling back of the mucous membrane to reveal the glans, periah.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results for 'CORE Institute', 'Core Games', and 'CORE 4X4', which do not discuss the halachic process of brit milah.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 20, 2026 · The CORE Institute was founded to deliver the highest standard of orthopedic, spine, neurological, bone health, and vein care. Built upon a foundation of pioneering research, academics,…
https://thecoreinstitute.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Core makes it possible by giving beginners and pros alike the power of Unreal in an accessible interface. You have access to hundreds of free, high-quality music, sound and art assets, and built-in 3D…
https://www.coregames.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — CORE 4X4 builds heavy-duty adjustable control arms & suspension parts for Jeep, Dodge Ram, & many other off-road vehicles. Made in the USA with a lifetime guarantee.
https://core4x4.com/
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.