Changes

 Dr. '''Max Ronald Mintz ''', {{MD}}, is a retired Houston-area pediatrician who now works solely as a ''[[mohel]]'', or ritual circumcisor of Jewish babies.<refname="HoustonChronicle">{{REFnews

}}</ref> His discussion will include reasons some of these parents have shared with him... He offers his "services" to Jewish and non-Jewish parents who want their children [[circumcised]].<ref>{{REFnews |lastname=Heilman |first=Uriel |url=http://www.chron.com/life/houston-belief/article/Retired-doctor-busy-in-second-career-as-mohel-3549380.php |title=Retired doctor busy in second career as mohel |publisher= |website=The Houston Chronicle |quote=Mintz doesn't circumcise only Jewish children. |date=2012-05-10 |accessdate=2012-06-16}}<"HoustonChronicle"/ref>

Mintz started off as a doctor, but he became a ritual circumcisor when he circumcise a son of wife's cousin in 1979 who lived in Beumont, Texas 90 miles east of Houston, Texas, and the only three mohels in Houston at the time were already booked.<ref>{{REFnews |last=Heilman |first=Uriel |url=http://www.chron.com/life/houston-belief/article/Retired-doctor-busy-in-second-career-as-mohel-3549380.php |title=Retired doctor busy in second career as mohel |publisher= |website=The Houston Chronicle |quote=...it wasn't until his wife's cousin gave birth to a son in 1979 that he was drafted into ritual service. |date=2012-05-10 |accessdate=2012-06-16}}</ref> Mintz began to keep count of his circumcisions [[circumcision]]s shortly after beginning his [[mohel ]] career.<ref>{{REFnews |last=Heilman |first=Uriel |urlname=http:/"HoustonChronicle"/www.chron.com/life/houston-belief/article/Retired-doctor-busy-in-second-career-as-mohel-3549380.php |title=Retired doctor busy in second career as mohel |publisher= |website=The Houston Chronicle |quote=Shortly after he began his mohel career, Mintz... began keeping count of his circumcisions. |date=2012-05-10 |accessdate=2012-06-16}}</ref> According to his own estimations, Mintz has circumcised 9,700 babies during the past 30 years<ref>{{REFnews |last=Heilman |first=Uriel |url=http://www.chron.com/life/houston-belief/article/Retired-doctor-busy-in-second-career-as-mohel-3549380.php |title=Retired doctor busy in second career as mohel |publisher= |website=The Houston Chronicle |quote=Mintz has circumcised 9,700 babies during the past 30 years, according to his count. |datename=2012-05-10 |accessdate=2012-06-16}}<"HoustonChronicle"/ref>, and he aims aimed to make this number an even 10,000 by the end of 2012.<ref>{{REFnews |last=Heilman |first=Uriel |url=http://www.chron.com/life/houston-belief/article/Retired-doctor-busy-in-second-career-as-mohel-3549380.php |title=Retired doctor busy in second career as mohel |publisher= |website=The Houston Chronicle |quote=He expects to reach 10,000 near the end of this year. |datename=2012-05-10 |accessdate=2012-06-16}}<"HoustonChronicle"/ref> (Source last accessed June 16) His five grandsons are included in that number.<ref>{{REFnews |last=Heilman |first=Uriel |urlname=http://www.chron.com/life"HoustonChronicle"/houston-belief/article/Retired-doctor-busy-in-second-career-as-mohel-3549380.php |title=Retired doctor busy in second career as mohel |publisher= |website=The Houston Chronicle |quote=...Mintz... has circumcised all five of his grandsons... |date=2012-05-10 |accessdate=2012-06-16}}</ref>

Now Being 71in 2012, Mintz says said he'll d keep circumcising until he gets shaky.<ref>{{REFnews |last=Heilman |first=Uriel |url=http://www.chron.com/life/houston-belief/article/Retired-doctor-busy-in-second-career-as-mohel-3549380.php |title=Retired doctor busy in second career as mohel |publisher= |website=The Houston Chronicle |quotename=Now 71, Mintz says he'll keep circumcising as long as he can - until he gets shaky. |date=2012-05-10 |accessdate=2012-06-16}}<"HoustonChronicle"/ref>

==Circumcision of gentile children and Financial Interestfinancial interest ==

Mintz makes his living circumcising not only-Jewish children, but also gentile, non-Jewish children as well.<ref>{{REFnews |last=Heilman |first=Uriel |urlname=http://www.chron.com/life/houston-belief/article"HoustonChronicle"/Retired-doctor-busy-in-second-career-as-mohel-3549380.php |title=Retired doctor busy in second career as mohel |publisher= |website=The Houston Chronicle |quote=Mintz doesn't circumcise only Jewish children. |date=2012-05-10 |accessdate=2012-06-16}}</ref> While for Jewish children, he circumcises out of religious conviction, he circumcises non-Jewish children for the aesthetic or health reasons his gentile clients give him.<ref>{{REFnews |last=Heilman |first=Uriel |url=http://www.chron.com/life/houston-belief/article/Retired-doctor-busy-in-second-career-as-mohel-3549380.php |title=Retired doctor busy in second career as mohel |publisher= |website=The Houston Chronicle |quote=Many parents choose circumcision for aesthetic or health reasons... |date=2012-05-10 |accessdatename=2012-06-16}}<"HoustonChronicle"/ref> However there is financial interest involved, as he charges $350.00 per child.<ref>{{REFnews |last=Heilman |first=Uriel |urlname=http:"HoustonChronicle"//www.chron.com/life/houston-belief/article/Retired-doctor-busy-in-second-career-as-mohel-3549380.php |title=Retired doctor busy in second career as mohel |publisher= |website=The Houston Chronicle |quote=Mintz> As a licensed pediatrican, who charges about $350 one may assume that he qualifies for the service, is happy to oblige[[third-party payment]] from insurance providers. |date=2012-05-10 |accessdate=2012-06-16}}</ref>

== Circumcision Symposium at the {{UNI|University of Texas Medical Branch |UTMB}} ==

On Friday, Jun 15, 2012, UTMB hosted the symposium "[https://www.joseph4gi.com/2012/06/texas-utmb-debates-pros-cons-and.html Cutting Edge Debate: Pros, Cons and Contexts of Male Circumcision]" from 2:00pm to 4:00pm at the Moody Gardens Hotel as part of their 61st Pediatrics by the Gulf annual Pediatric Review and Update.<refname="UTMB">{{REFnews

A panel was supposed to engage in "multidimensional discussion" of the ethical questions raised by the practice of [[circumcision]], the wide array of varied views and circumcision and the supposed "social and cultural contexts that shape those views." The audience was invited to participate in discussion.<ref>{{REFnews |last=Dannenmaier |first=Molly |url=http://galvestondailynews.com/story/320846 |titlename="UTMB invites public to symposium on circumcision |publisher= |website=The Daily News |quote=The panel will engage in a multidimensional discussion... |date=2012-06-12 |accessdate=2012-06-16}}<"/ref>

Max Mintz was one of the panelists, and he spoke from the perspective of Jewish tradition, <ref>{{REFnews |last=Dannenmaier |first=Molly |url=http://galvestondailynews.com/story/320846 |titlename="UTMB invites public to symposium on circumcision |publisher= |website=The Daily News |quote=He will speak to the place of circumcision in the Jewish tradition... |date=2012-06-12 |accessdate=2012-06-16}}<"/ref> as well as he shared the reasons for circumcising non-Jewish babies as part of his [[mohel ]] practice.<ref>{{REFnews |last=Dannenmaier |first=Molly |url=http://galvestondailynews.com/story/320846 |titlename="UTMB invites public to symposium on circumcision |publisher= |website=The Daily News |quote=His discussion will include reasons some of these parents have shared with him... |date=2012-06-12 |accessdate=2012-06-16}}<"/ref>

| Title=Quotes by Max Mintz | Text=<q>It's the perfect job, actually," </q> he said. "<q>It's always a very happy occasion. I don't have to do funerals like a rabbi. Everyone wants to meet you, to feed you and so forth. And I feel I'm doing something worthwhile.</q>

<q>I enjoy doing it... [a]s long as people want me to and as long as I'm no danger to the child.</q> | Author=Max Mintz | Source=The Houston Chronicle| lang=| before=| after=| Transcription=| Translation= | ref=<ref>[http://www.chron.comname="UTMB"/life/houston-belief/article/Retired-doctor-busy-in-second-career-as-mohel-3549380.php The Houston Chronicle]</ref>

[[Category:PeoplePediatrician]][[Category:Interest|Financial GainPhysician]][[Category:Interest|Religious Convictionconviction]][[Category:PhysiciansJewish]] [[Category:USA]]