Max Buckler's guest appearances

Max Buckler

Judaism Unbound

Evolve

Gary Shteyngart

OwlTail

Popular culture and Jewish humor are rife with circumcision jokes. Remember Mel Brooks explaining the practice to Robin Hood and his Merry Men? Seinfeld and Shakey the Mohel? Yet serious examinations of circumcisions and brit millah and what it means today — and why non-Orthodox Jews keep up the practice — are much harder to come by. In this first of a two-part series, we talk with critics — if not outright opponents — of circumcision. The first needs no introduction: Bestselling novelist and memoirist Gary Shteyngart. His New Yorker article about his own botched circumcision as a 7-year-old sparked conversation across the Jewish world and beyond. And Max Buckler, a business strategist who has been increasingly active and vocal on the issue.  We discuss circumcision from the perspective of morality, Jewish tradition, medicine, gender norms and the rights of parents and children. We even address the question of whether circumcision decreases male sexual potency and pleasure. And we explore alternative rituals to mark the covenant between God and the Jewish people.   Warning, this episode contains graphic descriptions of male genitalia and includes a discussion on how racism plays a role in the history of circumcision in the U.S. Still with us? Stay tuned, next month we’ll talk to a Reconstructionist mohel.   Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1 This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.Special Guests: Gary Shteyngart and Max Buckler.Support EvolveLinks:Read Max's Evolve essay, "Be Honest About the Bris" Read Gary's New Yorker essay, "A Botched Circumcision And Its Aftermath"Also on Evolve, "We Should Continue Practicing Brit Millah" Also on Evolve, "The Case for Welcoming Uncircumcised Jews From Rabbinic Sources"Also on Evolve, "We Should Reconstruct ‘Brit Milah’" Gary's collected writings on Penguin Random HouseMax's org Bruchim is fostering welcoming spaces for Jews opting out of circumcisionA Mohel's response to Gary's New Yorker essayOn Ritualwell: Brit Atifah, A Jewish Baby Naming - one possible alternative to the brit millahThe NY Department of Health on Metzitzah B'peh (direct oral suctioning)Mentioned in the episode - David Reimer's botched circumcision and the "John/Joan" caseGary's Fresh Air appearanceMax and his partner Charlene on Judaism UnboundFrom Tablet Magazine, "Why I Didn't Circumcise My Second Son" "The Mohel" on SeinfeldMel Brooks as The Mohel in Robinhood: Men in Tights

Popular culture and Jewish humor are rife with circumcision jokes. Remember Mel Brooks explaining the practice to Robin Hood and his Merry Men? Seinfeld and Shakey the Mohel? Yet serious examinations of circumcisions and brit millah and what it means today — and why non-Orthodox Jews keep up the practice — are much harder to come by. In this first of a two-part series, we talk with critics — if not outright opponents — of circumcision. The first needs no introduction: Bestselling novelist and memoirist Gary Shteyngart. His New Yorker article about his own botched circumcision as a 7-year-old sparked conversation across the Jewish world and beyond. And Max Buckler, a business strategist who has been increasingly active and vocal on the issue. We discuss circumcision from the perspective of morality, Jewish tradition, medicine, gender norms and the rights of parents and children. We even address the question of whether circumcision decreases male sexual potency and pleasure. And we explore alternative rituals to mark the covenant between God and the Jewish people. Warning, this episode contains graphic descriptions of male genitalia and includes a discussion on how racism plays a role in the history of circumcision in the U.S. Still with us? Stay tuned, next month we’ll talk to a Reconstructionist mohel. Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: <a href="https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb</a> Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: <a href="http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org</a> Subscribe by Email at <a href="http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss</a> Read these show notes on the web at <a href="https://evolve.fireside.fm/1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://evolve.fireside.fm/1</a> This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at <a href="https://ReconstructingJudaism.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ReconstructingJudaism.org</a>.Special Guests: Gary Shteyngart and Max Buckler.<a href="https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/evolve-donate" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support Evolve</a>Links:<ul><li><a href="https://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org/be-honest-about-the-bris-a-jewish-call-for-greater-integrity/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Read Max's Evolve essay, "Be Honest About the Bris" </a></li><li><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/10/11/a-botched-circumcision-and-its-aftermath" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Read Gary's New Yorker essay, "A Botched Circumcision And Its Aftermath"</a></li><li><a href="https://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org/we-should-continue-practicing-brit-milah/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Also on Evolve, "We Should Continue Practicing Brit Millah" </a></li><li><a href="https://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org/the-case-for-welcoming-uncircumcised-jews-from-rabbinic-sources/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Also on Evolve, "The Case for Welcoming Uncircumcised Jews From Rabbinic Sources"</a></li><li><a href="https://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org/we-should-reconstruct-brit-milah/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Also on Evolve, "We Should Reconstruct ‘Brit Milah’" </a></li><li><a href="https://sites.prh.com/gary-shteyngart" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gary's collected writings on Penguin Random House</a></li><li><a href="https://www.bruchim.online/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Max's org Bruchim is fostering welcoming spaces for Jews opting out of circumcision</a></li><li><a href="https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-new-yorkers-botched-circumcision-article/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Mohel's response to Gary's New Yorker essay</a></li><li><a href="https://ritualwell.org/ritual/brit-atifah-jewish-baby-naming-home" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">On Ritualwell: Brit Atifah, A Jewish Baby Naming - one possible alternative to the brit millah</a></li><li><a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/safe-bris.page" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The NY Department of Health on Metzitzah B'peh (direct oral suctioning)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-may-13-me-reimer13-story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mentioned in the episode - David Reimer's botched circumcision and the "John/Joan" case</a></li><li><a href="https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/2021/11/02/1051451454/fresh-air-for-nov-2-2021-novelist-gary-shteyngart" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gary's Fresh Air appearance</a></li><li><a href="https://www.judaismunbound.com/podcast/episode-304-max-buckler-charlene-thrope" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Max and his partner Charlene on Judaism Unbound</a></li><li><a href="https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/belief/articles/why-we-didnt-circumcise-our-second-son" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">From Tablet Magazine, "Why I Didn't Circumcise My Second Son" </a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDABzGe94GU&amp;feature=emb_title" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Mohel" on Seinfeld</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KXmcNfEFMI&amp;feature=emb_title" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mel Brooks as The Mohel in Robinhood: Men in Tights</a></li></ul>

Episode 31: Rethinking the Circumcision Part 1, with Gary Shteyngart and Max Buckler

Charlene Thrope

Max Buckler, Director of Strategic Initiatives for Bruchim, and Charlene Thrope, a member of its extended team, join Dan and Lex for a conversation that explores alternatives to circumcision as the primary way to welcome amab (assigned-male-at-birth) babies into the Jewish community. This episode is the second of two episodes featuring guests from Bruchim, a recently-launched organization that seeks to foster welcoming spaces for Jewish families who have opted out of the ritual of circumcision.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here! You can also buy Judaism Unbound merch (hoodies! stickers! mugs! so much more!) by heading to www.judaismunbound.com/store.To access shownotes for this episode, click here.

<a href="https://www.bruchim.online/team/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Max Buckler</a>, Director of Strategic Initiatives for <a href="bruchim.online" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bruchim</a>, and Charlene Thrope, a member of its extended team, join Dan and Lex for a conversation that explores alternatives to circumcision as the primary way to welcome amab (assigned-male-at-birth) babies into the Jewish community. This episode is the second of two episodes featuring guests from <a href="bruchim.online" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bruchim</a>, a recently-launched organization that seeks to foster welcoming spaces for Jewish families who have opted out of the ritual of circumcision.If you're enjoying <a href="https://www.judaismunbound.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judaism Unbound</a>, please <a href="https://www.judaismunbound.com/donate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">help us keep things going</a> with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. <a href="https://www.judaismunbound.com/donate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!</a> You can also buy Judaism Unbound merch (hoodies! stickers! mugs! so much more!) by heading to <a href="https://dashboard.simplecast.com/accounts/4772bdea-a72e-4ec8-8413-c999181d4002/shows/e23ce2d1-c35b-4eea-a964-27f9bd1251dd/episodes/c99b2ecd-7de6-4c7a-b15a-49cd032c55ad/www.judaismunbound.com/store" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.judaismunbound.com/store</a>.To access <a href="https://www.judaismunbound.com/podcast/episode-304-max-buckler-charlene-thrope" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">shownotes</a> for this episode, <a href="https://www.judaismunbound.com/podcast/episode-304-max-buckler-charlene-thrope" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a>.