NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg yesterday rebuffed rabbis’ threats of legal action if the city goes through with a proposal to restrict a controversial Orthodox Jewish circumcision procedure.
“We have an obligation to keep people alive and safe and the courts have held that up repeatedly,” Bloomberg said yesterday at a 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.”
His comments came in response to Orthodox rabbis who defended the controversial practice of “metzitzah b’peh” at a New York City Health Department public hearing this week. During the ritual, a mohel uses his mouth to suck blood from the circumcision wound, which has led to the transmission of herpes to some infants, in a few cases leading to their deaths.
One mohel, Rabbi A. Romi Cohn, defended the practice, saying rabbinical law guidelines are “much stricter than the medical profession,” though he admitted some people without training as required by rabbinical law pose as mohels to make money, a practice he strongly condemned.
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23 Responses
there is just TOO much to respond to this…
Bloomberg will drop Dead before MBP will be stopped
“you dont have the right to put any childs life in danger…
let the hyporcite say the same with abortions!
Wasn’t there an investigation and it was found that the baby contracted it from his older sibling who had an active mouth sore (and sucked on the baby’s pacifier after which he put it back in the baby’s mouth)?!?
the secular liberal politicions have no right to tell the most moral people that ever lived how to live their private lives. thanks for your concern anyway
Where is the impeach button???
What do you expect from a Toeiva embracing mosq loving nany…
Mr. Mayor:
You were born a Jew and probably circumcised using this procedure; as was done for the past 3800+ years. You don’t seem to have suffered at all from this process. If you would personally analyze the statistics against this procedure, as you would for any major business investment, you would probably conclude that it is safe. If you ban this practice without proper statistical analysis, you are infringing on the rights of freedom of religion. You are also rebelling against G-d and his Torah. It would serve you well to thing about who gave you life, health, MONEY, POWER and everything else you have. If you continue on this path of rebellion, you will probably have initial success. This will be followed by your decline in all areas. Mr. Mayor: “please think before you do harm to our people as well as yourself!”
Bloomberg has lost his mind, first gay marriage, then soda, then guns, now milah.
Time for you new yorkers to elect someone normal!
Soft Drinks were not enough now he wants to start up with HASEM
I think he got this issue confused with his ban on the 32 oz big gulp.
Hashem Sifaasi Tiftoch- all of Bloomberg’s latest actions and comments impose on our basic Freedoms as Americans. I have the right to bear arms. I have the right to decide what I put in my mouth. I have the right to freedom of religion. All I can say is: if Bloomy runs for President his true colors (and opinions) are clear as day for everyone to see and NO we won’t accept his backpedaling when he says “that’s not what I meant” (in reference to all Police officers going on strike). He would be better off requiring Mohelim to subject themselves to mandatory blood screening, than abolishing a tzivuy that he doesn’t care for.
Moshe Rabbeinu did not want to do Millah on his son because he figured that he won’t be able to do MBP because of his Aral Sefosoyim. But because of the Malach he ended up doing the MbP, and his Aral Sefosayin immediately got healed. So he was able to speak to Pharoh and be a Kohen (without a Mumm) for Shivas Yemai Miluyim.
So we see that MBP actually Heals.
NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg yesterday rebuffed rabbis’ threats “…You don’t have a right to put any child’s life in danger…”
REALLY? Mr. Mayor, you authorize unlimted killing of babies in the womb, you allow doctors to give drugs which the AMA admits kill over 100,000 people a year from side effects, you allow all kinds of immoral activities which are known to increase HIV/AIDS, without any limitation.
Mr. Mayor, you are simply a self-hating Jewish-in-name-omly anti-Semite. You mock abhor your own tradition, and you have singled it out for your special scorn.
So, now, we will not be allowed to smoke, eat cholent, and have 20-ounce sodas, while performing Bris Milah.
You are a dangerous clown, Mr. mayor!
This Bloomberg is totally out of control. It really is time for him to go.
maybe we shouldn’t leave home at all, as something dangerous and threathing could happen to us, say like walking down the street, those trees can be so dangerous…
#8, Bloomberg was probably circumcised by a doctor, not by a mohel, and therefore didn’t have metzitzah at all, whether with a pipette or without.
But I don’t understand the headline; I thought the proposal was only that parents be informed of the risk and sign a consent form; I have no problem with that and don’t see why anyone would. Those who believe that it’s halachically required will give consent, and those who don’t won’t.
“some people without training as required by rabbinical law pose as mohels to make money”
So why don’t we make a certification program for Mohels just like we do for kosher eateries?
People only talk about “mandatory blood screening”. But why are we waiting for govt to impose it on us instead of being more serious about Pekuach Nefesh and requiring it ourselves.
Why not create an organization to oversee all this? So next mayor will not even think of stopping MB for us.
Rabboisai to the streets! Let our voice be heard! Down with the nanni state! We must defend Millah at this time! It is not a time to be quiet. Raise your voices! Lift your banners! It is a time of attack, and we must defend ourselves.
“We have an obligation to keep people alive and safe and the courts have held that up repeatedly,”
So, when will he ban hospitals from operating in NYC if he was so concerned about his obligation to keep people alive and safe (See the site hospitalinfection.org for more info).
He’s also pro toeva marriage. You eat chazer you think like a chazer and you act like a chazer.
The ban on the soda won’t break Bloomberg. NBP will.
Nice, just as i thought.. you frumies censor the comments if it doesnt go along with your political and religious agenda… you guys must be so insecure in your beliefs that a guy like me, a non believer… would cause to not post my comments. Tsk Tsk Tsk.a shonda …. now i know why i am a non believer…