We read in this week’s parasha, Tazria, “On the eighth day the flesh of the foreskin shall be circumcised” (Leviticus 12:3). This comes in a section of Torah about regulations regarding mothers and ...

Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its ...

Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its ...

JTA — When Elana Johnson was shopping around for a synagogue three years ago, the mother of four approached a Conservative congregation in her Midwestern city to ask about joining. For most synagogues ...

Male circumcision is known and practiced in the cultures of many peoples. In Judaism it is a religious requirement, based on a Divine command: "This is My covenant which you shall keep; every male ...

The ancient ceremony of circumcision, performed on the 8th day of life, was instituted as a sign to the covenant between God and Abraham. It symbolized the consecration of one's sexuality and one's ...

Since Abraham’s circumcision at the ripe age of 99 (Genesis 17:7), Jews have maintained the holy covenant by circumcising their infant boys. Beyond the traditional aspect, circumcision has a solid ...

The first act with the baby Jesus after his birth was an act of obedience to Jewish tradition. “And at the end of the eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the ...

The 1969 Roman Calendar reform recovered Jan. 1 as the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. This is among the oldest feasts associated with the Octave Day of Christmas and reaffirms a basic truth that ...

To cut, or not to cut, that is the question. At least, that seems to be the dilemma du jour as residents of San Francisco gear up to vote this fall on a proposal to legally ban circumcision of males ...