Towards the ruling. New York Jewry alarmed against the "Metzitza" by mouth decree

Great tension and preparations among the Hareidi Jewry in the USA towards the ruling of the New York Health Committee this afternoon (USA time), concerning the custom of "sucking blood by mouth" at a Bris Milah.

As was reported in Behadrey Haredim, a few newborns in New York died after being infected by the herpes virus. According to the doctors' assumption, they were infected by the virus of the Mohel who performed their Bris, which included according to Chazal's custom sucking of the Bris blood by mouth.

Because of the tragic cases, Dr. Thomas Perli, who is in charge of health in the city, instructed the ban of performing the custom of Metzitza Bape during a Bris, about three months ago.

The New York Mayor, Michael Blumberg, decided to join the battle against the custom, with the claim that the sucking causes health problems among those who are circumcised.

But the Hareidi Jewry sharply opposed the prohibition, and the issue was transferred for a final decision at the municipality's health committee.

Towards the ruling, prayer gatherings are taking place today at the central shulls in New York, to cry out and evoke mercy in order to remove the bad decree.

Tomorrow (Thursday), Tefillos will be held in all the Torah institutions and shulls.
At the spearhead of the organization of struggle against the prohibition stands the Satmer chassidus with all its sectors. These joined forces in a relentless war against the ban. At its peak, the brothers, the Satmer Rebbes, met and decided on a joint battle.

A similar gathering was held a few months ago, when they sat with their attorneys, in a consultation of how to cope with the decree.

The Rebbe Mahr"a of Satmer, also expressed himself that one needs "Messirus Nefesh in face of the new decree".

During the struggle, a "Kol Kore" (announcement) was published in all the hareidi centers in the USA, on which most of the Rabbonim and Rebbes in the USA from all walks of life, signed, and in which they call on parents and Mohalim not to cooperate with the decision.

At the same time, there were voices in the Hareidi Jewry which opposed the struggle against the ban, among them Hagr"s Kaminetzky, Rosh Yeshiva of Philadelphia who said that he sees no problem in using a tube instead of the mouth.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!