Dov Hikind and Simcha Felder issued a Joint statement responding to New York City Department of Health’s interference with the practice of performing circumcisions, with the following press release:
“This attack isn’t just on metzitzah b’peh—a tradition practiced by most Orthodox Jews; it is an attack on Judaism as practiced for 3300 years,” said Assemblyman Hikind. “Telling parents that you require written consent from them before performing religious rites that the mayor finds objectionable thrusts the city deeper into a nanny-ocracy that has dubious implications. This is a deliberate insult to the intelligence and dignity of Orthodox Jews who live in this city. It is degrading. It is an attack upon the covenant that lies at the heart of our history and culture. Orthodox Jews have historically made it clear that they will practice their religion as they always have, regardless of any government’s attempt to interfere or degrade them.
“The sad implication is that this will dissuade some Jews altogether from performing ritual circumcisions. They will not enter the covenant. The mayor has allowed his personal agenda to impact the lives of these Jewish families forever. This is how he enters the New Jewish Year.”
