The Jewish Circumcision Resource Center issued a statement to Jewish Americans last week to encourage critical thinking about circumcision and dispel various cultural misunderstandings about the practice.

“We want Jews to know that in this country and abroad, some Jews do not circumcise their sons. Circumcision is a choice, and now that we know the serious harm caused by circumcision, there are strong reasons to forgo it,” said Ronald Goldman, Ph.D., Executive Director. Dr. Goldman is the author of Questioning Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective, endorsed by five rabbis.

Dr. Goldman also suggests that Jews think about the ethics of causing significant pain and cutting off a natural, healthy body part that has important functions. “There are psychological effects of circumcision, too. Some Jewish men are very dissatisfied, angry, or distressed about being circumcised,” said Dr. Goldman.

The Center’s primary intended audience is those Jews who generally evaluate an idea not solely based on its conformance with the Torah, but also in light of its agreement with reason and experience. For those Jews who decide against circumcision, there are over a dozen rabbis who will lead an alternative welcoming ceremony for baby boys called a brit shalom.

ICGI notes that this is not the first time the ritual has been questioned. Twice Jewish leadership has considered abandoning the blood rite. The majority of Jews in the United States belong to secular or Reform groups for which circumcision is optional.