Three Rabbis Sue City over Metzitzah B’peh
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Photo Credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90
A lawsuit filed Thursday by Jewish organizations and three rabbis argues that a new NY City rule requiring parental consent for metzitzah b’peh, a post-circumcision ritual that involves oral suction in order to stimulate blood flow in the traumatized organ, violates the First Amendment, the NY Daily News reports.
The new rule, which take effect Oct. 21, requires mohels who perform the metzitzah b’peh to provide parents with a document they must sign, containing information about the health risks involved.
City officials say babies may contract herpes from the practice, and they cite 11 cases between 2004 and 2011, including two fatalities.
The lawsuit argues that the new rule violates the constitutional freedom of religion.
“Government cannot compel the transmission of messages that the speaker does not want to express — especially when the speaker is operating in an area of heightened First Amendment protection, such as a religious ritual,” the lawsuit argues.
City officials said they are planning to fight the suit “vigorously.”
“The city’s highest obligation is to protect its children; therefore, it is important that parents know the risks associated with the practice,” Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said.
It has been argued that the city is yet to prove that the herpes contracted by the babies was the same virus carried by the mohel. Another argument made regarding this issue, is that babies whose mothers are carriers of herpes receive immunity to the virus in the womb, and that only babies born to uninfected mothers are in danger from metzitzah b’peh.
Those two arguments are crucial to understanding the current law suit, because it is possible that the babies who received metzitzah b’peh from a mohel contracted their herpes from a third person and not via the genitalia.
It is estimated that about 80 percent of American adults are carriers of oral herpes (cold sores).
tell a friendAbout the Author: JewishPress.com Senior Internet Editor Yori Yanover has been a working journalist since age 17, before he enlisted and worked for Ba'Machane Nachal. Since then he has worked for Israel Shelanu, the US supplement of Yedioth, JCN18.com, USAJewish.com, Lubavitch News Service, Arutz 7 (as DJ on the high seas), and the Grand Street News. He has published two fun books: The Cabalist's Daughter: A Novel of Practical Messianic Redemption, and How Would God REALLY Vote.
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These so called Rabbi's belong In jail
They want to put these babies lives in jeapody for a ludicrous antiquated ritual
Well said…100% in agreement!
Fools: you suggest that rabbis belong in jail because they practice and defend an age-old ritual that *maybe* has caused a couple of babies to get an infection over hundreds of years… How many times were you dropped on your head as a kid?
Fools: you suggest that rabbis belong in jail because they practice and defend an age-old ritual that *maybe* has caused a couple of babies to get an infection over hundreds of years… How many times were you dropped on your head as a kid?
Is this a news story? Who are the three rabbis? Which organizations? You and your editor should be ashamed of yourself for NOT giving us the news.