AGUDATH YISROEL OF AMERICA LETTER TO MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG (9/4/2012)
For one thing, there is widespread concern that the City’s larger goal here is to ban the practice of metzitzah b ‘peh outright. Unfortunately, Mr. Mayor, you contributed substantially to that concern when you stated at a recent press conference “There are certain practices that doctors say are not safe, and we will not permit those practices to the extent that we can stop them. You don ‘t have a right to put any child’s life in danger, and this clearly does. ” It would appear that the proposed new regulation, along with the Health Department’s various other recent statements and publications recommending against the practice of metzitzah b ‘peh, are merely the first steps in an effort that may lead to an outright ban on metzitzah b ‘peh. While not all Orthodox Jewish religious authorities require metzitzah b ‘peh, many do – which means, for the tens of thousands of families in New York City who follow the view that the practice is an integral part of bris milah , that the City appears to be laying the foundation for a law that effectively bans Jewish ritual circumcision…READ MORE
Dear Rabbi Zweibel and Rabbi Weinberger,
This is in response to your letter to Mayor Bloomberg of September 4th, 2012 regarding the proposed amendment to the City of New York Health Code on direct oral suction during circumcision. I know this issue is extremely important to you and to many other religious leaders…READ MORE
AGUDATH YISROEL OF AMERICA RESPONSE LETTER TO THOMAS FARLEY
It does not even acknowledge, let alone address, the main point of our September 4 letter: our concern about the unilateral fashion in which the Health Department has proceeded in this matter, without attempting in any way to engage the community in meaningful dialogue regarding this highly sensitive issue – an approach which, as we pointed out, is likely to dramatically undermine the City’s stated goal of safeguarding the health and wellbeing of our community’s children. Similarly, there is not a word in your letter about our request to meet directly with the Mayor to discuss this issue, and to adjourn the Board of Health ‘s vote on the proposed regulation from September 13 until such time as we have had an opportunity to engage you in serious substantive dialogue on the issues at hand. We find this puzzling, to put it mildly… READ MORE
מטעם רבותינו כ”ק מרנן שרי התורה הגאב”ד והגאוה”צ הביד”צ שליט”א
זעקת בני ישראל יושבי מדינת ניו יארק באה אלינו, כאשר ראש
העיר החליט לעקור חלק ממצות המילה ע”י איסור מציצה בפה
כמקובל מדור דור וכפי שכבר גילינו דעתינו ביום י”ט מנ”א
תשע”ב העעל”ט, והנה עתה גדולי מנהיגי ישראל שליט”א העומדים
בראש מערכת הקודש הגישו לבית משפטם לדון להעביר רוע
הגזירה ומקוים בע”ה שהשופטים יבטלו את הגזירה, ואחרי דחיות
עומדים בימים הקרובים לדון בענין…. READ MORE
For the first time in US history, a government agency has regulated the performance of a Mitzva. The new law would prohibit traditional Bris Milah, which includes metzitzah b’peh, unless Mohelim convey the agency’s biased and baseless opinion that it is unsafe…. READ MORE