Michael Ingber
Michael Ingber (* 1945 in New York), living in Austria.
At the Scientific Symposium on the day before the WWDOGA 2014, he gave a lecture on the topic of 'Internal and external views and insights regarding male circumcision, or: How I became opponent to the genital circumcision and proponent of the 'circumcision of the heart'[1].
Curriculum vitae
- 1963-1967 Studied philosophy and history at Columbia University, New York
- 1967-1969 Participation in the Advanced Studies Program, Hebrew University, Jerusalem (Israel)
- 1969-1985 Acceptance of Israeli citizenship, convening in the Israeli army, 15 years service as a career officer to the rank Major
- 1986-1997 Worked as a tour guide in Israel-Palestine for German-language study groups as well as the coordinator for various charities in the area of social and educational work
- since 1996, engaged in peace activities of the Israel-Palestine conflict
- Since 2001, residing in Austria, a lecturer at universities in Marburg and Passau, Freelance Project Manager at student forums at the Academy for Political Education Tutzing and Education Officer in the Education of Adults (emphasis Political Science / Palestine Conflict, Conflict and Peace Research, Human Rights, Interreligious Affairs)
- Since 2013 guest lecturer at the Academy for Political Education Tutzing as project manager for student forums, etc.
The Humanistische Pressedienst (Humanist Press Service) describes him as:
"The historian, political scientist and Judaic scholar is — coming from a Jewish family and himself circumcised — gets to minors in the context of the circumcision debate for the rejection of circumcision. Ingber, who lived about 35 years in Israel and Palestine, belongs to the Jewish community; he knows circumcisions, he knows the Jewish tradition, the arguments of the tradition keepers and reform lines in Jewish history, he therefore knows (as opposed to circumcision advocates in German politics) exactly what he's talking about.
Michael Ingber has six grandsons, four of which are circumcised, but two - because of the decision of Ingber, his daughter and her husband - are not. When this daughter's first son was not circumcised, Ingber was still of the opinion that how should a boy be a Jew when he was not circumcised; on the second grandson he could agree with his daughter fully, when she rejected circumcision after realizing: "How could I do this to my child as mother?"
At the meeting of the Federal Men Forum in June 2013, Michael Ingber said about himself as someone who has radically changed his views on circumcision after thorough review and analysis (historical and religious aspects as well as the views of Maimonides): "In my life I have made a long way, from a very Jewish-ethnocentric position in my attitude or belief to what I would call a more open, universal belief. And I am still on my way ..." A way which - if you hear the statements of Michael Ingbers on other occasions as well — is oriented in the human rights and not in formalisms and rituals."[2]