NYC Mayoral Candidates Debate Metzitzah B’peh, Jewish Circumcision Ritual In Which Blood Is Sucked From Baby’s Penis [VIDEO]
At a Jewish press forum in New York City Wednesday, Democratic mayoral candidates discussed the city's regulation of a controversial Jewish ritual, in which blood is sucked from the recently circumcised penis of a baby boy.
Metzitzah b'peh is an ancient Jewish ritual. It involves removing the foreskin from a newborn baby's penis, and using the circumcisor's mouth to draw away blood from the wound. By the early 1930s, many rabbis rallied to ban metzitzah b'peh, but a lot of Orthodox Jewish communities still practice the ritual. The New York City Orthodox Jewish population is the nation's largest.
The circumcision ritual has been controversial among Jewish sects for decades, but only recently came to the attention of the greater public when a baby reportedly contracted herpes during the performance of metzitzah b'peh. In January, a Manhattan federal judge upheld a regulation that requires people who perform metzitzah b'peh circumcisions to obtain written consent from the baby's parents. The Orthodox Jewish community in New York disagreed with the new regulation, saying that it places an undue burden on the practice of their religion.
According to The Jewish Press, candidate Anthony Weiner tip-toed around the subject, while the other candidates hit the topic head on. John Liu and Rev. Erick Salgado said that they would discontinue the city's regulation of the ritual. Christine Quinn said that the consent form was valid as a balance between religious freedom and public health concerns. And Sal Albanese and Bill de Blasio both said they'd review the issue and get back to community leaders later.
Watch the candidates discuss metzitzah b'peh below.