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By denying or ignoring any
merit in questions and arguments critical of circumcision, Jewish
circumcision advocates are left with suspecting a hidden motivation
for those who would question circumcision.1 They need to make sense of
what they perceive. How could Jews and others question a divine
commandment? One advocate believes that the views of circumcision
critics are affected by “Jewish self-hate” and
“anti-Semitism.”2
The indiscriminate use of these
terms by more than a few Jewish writers calls for examination and
response. Jewish self-hate is a generalized feeling. If a Jew feels
self-hate (A), then he is likely to dislike specific Jewish things
(B). However, questioning a specific Jewish thing does not
necessarily equate with generalized Jewish self-hate. As we learned
in high school logic, if A then B does not equal if B then
A. To further illustrate in a parallel example, some Catholics
disagree with certain Catholic ideas and rituals, but they are not
accused of being “self-hating Catholics.” Furthermore, hate is a
very strong and easily identifiable feeling. The published writing
of leading Jewish critics of circumcision are generally either
scholarly, factual analyses or compassionate statements that reveal
intellectual, emotional, and ethical conflicts with the practice.
Typically, they include expressions of appreciation for Judaism and
a desire to contribute to the community, hardly the feelings of
self-hating Jews.3-6
If one is anti-Semitic, then by
definition one is hostile to Jews. The content of the writing of
circumcision critics conflicts with this characterization. Published
critiques of circumcision are uniformly rational investigations
and/or personal explorations of a challenging subject.7-9 If someone is anti-Semitic
(A), then he is likely to dislike specific Jewish things (B).
However, assuming that a critic of circumcision is anti-Semitic
makes an over-generalized assumption. Again, elementary logic tells
us that this reverse relationship does not follow. (Historically,
some anti-Semites have been anti-circumcision, but that association
does not mean that all circumcision critics are anti-Semitic.) An
example does not prove a generality. Circumcision advocates fail to
differentiate between reasonable criticism of a specific practice
and a more general unjustified hostile attitude. It is possible to
question the actions of a person or group without being
categorically opposed to the person or group. Are those who question
an American government policy anti-American? In fact, questioning an
action that one believes to cause harm is more likely to be
motivated by good will rather than ill will. If circumcision is
harmful, then acting on awareness and knowledge of this harm is
appropriate.
Simply the belief of some Jews
or even the majority of Jews, that circumcision critics are
anti-Semitic does not necessarily make critics anti-Semitic. Because
of the nature of the topic, it may be that a majority of Jews judge
that a position critical of circumcision is anti-Semitic.
However, it may also be that this majority shrinks to a minority
when the critical position is presented in a coherent, detailed,
rational form. Some Jews may be so rigid in their advocacy of
circumcision that they do not consider the details of opposing
arguments.
More generally, minority
positions may initially be judged to be anti-group by the majority
of a group. However, individuals and groups can have various
psychological, social, and political reasons for opposing change,
and these reasons often have nothing to do with the merits of the
proposed change. If the minority position later becomes the majority
position, the “anti” label is not used. It seems that the “anti”
label is often applied to marginalize those who have unpopular
views.
Other factors can explain
accusations of Jewish self-hate and anti-Semitism. For example,
circumcision advocates may use these terms to exaggerate the
challenge to their views in order to encourage a stronger Jewish
response, to “rally the troops” to defend circumcision. Perhaps some
Jewish leaders also invoke anti-Semitism in an effort to intimidate
critics and suppress further debate. Virtually nobody wants to be
called anti-Semitic. People may also falsely attribute their own
feelings or traits to others, an act called projection. The
perceived hostility by circumcision advocates may be a projection of
their own hostility toward those who express an opposing view.
Overreaction may also be associated with underlying fear and
hypersensitivity associated with their own circumcision.
Given the symbolic religious
and cultural meaning of circumcision to Jews and the repressed
feelings associated with circumcision, it is understandable that
some Jews may overreact to circumcision critics. Certainly, it is
extremely uncomfortable for some Jews to consider what it means for
circumcision to be a very serious mistake. People are more likely to focus on
what other people have done to them, rather than to acknowledge what
they have done to themselves. In addition, because of the
long history of oppression against Jews in general and the Holocaust
in particular, there is understandable protectiveness and distrust
felt among Jews in response to criticism. For some Jews, even the
slightest perceived criticism must be defended against and
reciprocated. Of course, in the case of circumcision, the criticism
concerns a central Jewish practice. Therefore, although being
attacked as an anti-Semite or self-hating Jew may be inappropriate,
it is understandable, and circumcision critics are urged to show
compassion for circumcision advocates while knowing that they have
the advantage of responding directly and specifically with various
options.
In our view, the proper
response for Jews is to support each other in airing these feelings
within the Jewish community. Opportunities to meet, learn, and
express thoughts and feelings about circumcision in a safe and
supportive environment would be
helpful. Respectful and
compassionate talking and listening would assist
healing. Tolerance and openness are needed. A
popular moderated online newsgroup for Jewish parents supports
tolerance by rejecting any judgmental messages “that criticize a
parent for ANY circumcision decision made for their
son.”10 Those in
leadership positions in the Jewish community have a special
obligation to facilitate discussion of this issue. This is more
likely to happen with community encouragement and
support.
The growing Jewish circumcision
debate will certainly stir repressed feelings about circumcision,
and discomfort is inevitable. However, this discomfort may be
interpreted as a positive development. It is a sign of
progress to feel and express discomfort about circumcision rather
than continuing to avoid new information and pretend that the
procedure is harmless. In any case, as we know from other
experiences, avoiding discomfort in ourselves or others often serves
only to perpetuate a problem.
NOTES
1. |
Kunin S, Miller R. The penis
becomes a scapegoat, letter to the editor. Moment
December, 1992: 75, 77.
See also letters to the
editor, Moment April 1993:
10-13.
|
2. |
Levenson J. The
new enemies of circumcision. Commentary March 2000:
29-36. [here, p.
34.]. |
3. |
Bivas N. Letter to our son’s
grandparents: Why we decided against
circumcision. Humanistic Judaism. Summer, 1988:
11-13. |
4. |
Moss L. Circumcision: a Jewish
inquiry. Midstream. January 1992:
20-23. |
5. |
Pollack M. Circumcision: a
Jewish feminist perspective. In: Weiner K, Moon A, eds.
Jewish Women Speak Out. Seattle, WA: Canopy Press.
1995:
171-88. |
6. |
Wallerstein E. Circumcision:
An American Health Fallacy. New York:
Springer Publishing.
1980. |
7. |
Romberg R. Circumcision: The
Painful Dilemma. South Hadley, MA: Bergin &
Garvey. 1985. |
8. |
Whitfield H, ed. BJU
International 1999;83(suppl.
1). |
9. |
Denniston G, Hodges F, Milos M,
eds. Male and Female Circumcision: Medical, Legal, and
Ethical Considerations in Pediatric Practice. New
York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.
1999. |
10. |
Soc.culture.jewish.parenting
FAQ: Newsgroup Policies and Procedures,
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/judaism/FAQ/scjp-admin/.
Accessed May 24,
2001. |
© Jewish Circumcision Resource
Center. All rights
reserved. |