I converted to Judaism AMA

[onlychildandhamster]

I converted to Liberal Judaism last year.

I occasionally encounter some religious AMA but they are mostly centred on Christianity (understandably because it is the majority religion in the UK). But thought this might be interesting. My husband is Jewish but is completely irreligious.

[JamieFrasersBigSwingingKilt]

@Ibizafun

Whaaat? I am jewish, my son is circumcised but I have never, ever heard of any blood sucking. Where on earth did you read that?

I'm Jewish too and have never heard of this either.

[MySocalledLoaf]

The suction at circumcision was widely reported in the US media a few years ago: www.google.at/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/Health/baby-dies-herpes-virus-ritual-circumcision-nyc-orthodox/story%3fid=15888618

[Puntastic]

Would you have your son circumcised in the traditional manner, by a rabbi, without anaesthesia, at a few days old?

[samG76]

metztizah - not done in the UK or anywhere in the world other than by a few of the obscurantist ultra-orthodox.

[JamieFrasersBigSwingingKilt]

Gosh. This is terrible. What an outdated practice. Like us Jews need more things to 'other' us and further stoke the fires of anti Semitism.

[Puntastic]

@Puntastic

Would you have your son circumcised in the traditional manner, by a rabbi, without anaesthesia, at a few days old?

To be clear, this question is presuming no blood sucking (though I have heard of the practice and I believe that nowadays most practitioners of it use a device of some sort to prevent their saliva coming into contact with the baby's blood).

[samG76]

Puntastic - no - I expect she'll have it done at the age of 7 by a plumber with a cigar cutter (in the conservatory)

[Puntastic]

@samG76

Puntastic - no - I expect she'll have it done at the age of 7 by a plumber with a cigar cutter (in the conservatory)

Confused as to why you would think this. I ask because there's a trend for Muslim parents nowadays to have their children circumcised with anaesthesia by trained doctors in hospital settings rather than more ritualistic methods which have been used elsewhere and in the past. I wondered if Liberal Judaism had a similar take on it.

[MirandaMarple]

@Ibizafun

Whaaat? I am jewish, my son is circumcised but I have never, ever heard of any blood sucking. Where on earth did you read that?

A recent BBC documentary.

[samG76]

I've been at dozens of circumcisions in the last 20 years or so, and every one has been done by a medical professional qualified to use anaesthetic. The idea of them being done by an elderly rabbi with no qualifications is a bit out of date. None have involved metzitzah.

[Puntastic]

@samG76

I've been at dozens of circumcisions in the last 20 years or so, and every one has been done by a medical professional qualified to use anaesthetic. The idea of them being done by an elderly rabbi with no qualifications is a bit out of date. None have involved metzitzah.

Qualified to use anaesthetic, or did use anaesthetic?

[Ibizafun]

I’ve also been to dozens.. no blood sucking!!

[MirandaMarple]

But it's still practiced? Just not at the circumcisions you've been to?

[samG76]

Miranda - as I’ve said above - not in the UK. I understand it may be done by certain obscure sects in Israel in the UK.

Puntastic - no idea whether they used anasthesia or not - I didn’t have a ringside seat and not sure I would have been able to tell anyway. They did put a numbing cream on my DSs.

[samG76]

Sorry - obscure sects in Israel and the US

[FightingTheFoo]

@MirandaMarple

I am too, really interested in Jewish culture. I worked for an airline that did flights to Tel Aviv, I live near to a Jewish community, I've read and watched the book/programme based on Unorthadox. I've learned so much but I know there's so much more up the faith than media and memoirs.

Although I did watch a documentary on BBC about being Jewish (it's a mini series covering Islam, Christianity, Hinduism) I didn't really learn anything I didn't already know.

Apart from, Jewish circumcision after birth, the person performing the procedure might suck the blood from the area performed upon. That shocked me. It didn't indicate it was a past practice either.

What do you think about that?

This is the most fucked up thing I've ever read on here and I've read a lot of fucked up things.

Never. Ever. Ever. In Jewish culture does anyone "suck" blood from a baby's penis. Sorry but what sick fucking thing to say.

My arse you "watched it on a documentary" unless it was a documentary made in Nazi Germany.

Fucking educate yourself. It's called a Blood Libel.

Fuck.

[MirandaMarple]

@FightingTheFoo

It was a fucking sick thing to learn. I AM trying to educate myself.

forward.com/life/192951/why-my-son-underwent-metzitzah-bpeh/?gamp

[Ibizafun]

Er.. exactly which documentary did you see this on Miranda??

[pigsDOfly]

Also never heard of orthodox Jewish women shutting themselves away during menstruation.

Unless this is some weird thing practiced by some sect somewhere.

[AgeLikeWine]

Do you agree that boys should be allowed to make their own decisions as adults about whether or not they want their penises mutilated?

[Anne1958]

. With jews, worship comes not just through prayer but through the mundane of the everyday life. Which is why jewish observance can be very intense, because the relationship with god is expressed through something as simple as a blessing before drinking a drop of water, a prayer for looking at the stars in the sky. There is a specific prayer/blessing for the most mundane of action. So the relationship is very personal- as you are connecting with god every moment of the day and not just during prayer

You’ve just described Islam.

[SomethingNastyInTheBallPool]

I’ve heard about the blood-sucking thing, too, though I can’t remember where. It’s nothing to do with the blood libel, though.

[SomethingNastyInTheBallPool]

Here you go. Reputable news source:

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/Health/baby-dies-herpes-virus-ritual-circumcision-nyc-orthodox/story%3fid=15888618

[MirandaMarple]

Where I learned about it is irrelevant.

[Nataliafalka]

Nobody sucks blood. It’s done almost always by practicing NHS doctors who are often but not always also rabbis. These guys are doing so many a year I’d rather they do it than anyone else