Ritual circumcision

Ritual circumcision refers to the practice by many Jewish parents of performing a circumcision on eight-day-old boys as mandated by the Abrahamic covenant found in Genesis 17. The circumcision is NOT a medical procedure. It is carried out by a religious official called a mohel. The circumcision is a religious ceremony called Brit Milah.

Many Jewish parents are concerned about the health and well-being of their son under the pain, stress, and trauma of a cutting operation so they substitute a Brit Shalom, which is a non-cutting naming ceremony.

Many Jews in Israel are secular Jews who do not practice circumcision.

Bruchim is an American Jewish organization that seeks to make non-cutting accepted in synagogues.

See also

• Judaism
• Metzitzah b'peh
• Periah
• Religion and culture