A lively and accessible look at Jewish intermarriage and its familial and cultural effects.

Scholars and rabbis examine the complex history and contemporary challenges of the Jewish rite of circumcision.

According to Jewish tradition, the ritual practice of circumcising male infants signals the male child’s entry into the covenant his forefather Abraham made with God. A common medical procedure for male infants in the United States, circumcision has come under increased scrutiny in recent years. Some medical professionals have challenged its purported health benefits, ethicists have raised concerns about the degree of pain involved, and Jewish feminists have questioned the implications of a covenantal rite centered on the male genitalia. The sixteen essays in this volume explore the history, cultural interpretations, and contemporary significance of circumcision from a Jewish perspective, making a major contribution to the informed discussion of current issues and controversies. An imaginative epilogue bringing together the voices of rabbis and scholars with opposing views concludes this remarkable volume.

Elizabeth Wyner Mark is resident scholar at the Women’s Studies Research Center at Brandeis University. A clinical psychologist, she was formerly a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School and a clinical supervisor at McLean Hospital. In recent years, she has been exploring the application of psychotherapeutic modes of understanding to the study of biblical texts.

“This volume, which may be the first collection of essays on the rite of circumcision…offers a new perspective on the meaning of this important rite of Jewish tradition.”
–Jewish Book World