August 24, 2011

I appreciate Jonah Lowenfeld’s reports on the Jewish movement against circumcision (“Little-known Non-cutting Ritual Appeals to Some Who Oppose Circumcision,” Aug. 5) but disagree with the takeaway message from his latest story on brit shalom, a covenantal naming ceremony for Jewish boys where no actual cutting takes place. Reading the story, it’s easy to conclude that brit shalom is barely ever practiced, is largely propagated by anti-circumcision activists and is undertaken by those with weak ties to Judaism.