DISCLAIMER: We graciously welcome guests and organizations who may have shared opposing viewpoints on a variety of topics, so as to not perpetuate an echo chamber environment. We recognize we will not align on every topic with every guest we invite. Bruchim does not endorse other stances and philosophies we have shared in various episodes of our podcast. We encourage respectful discourse, and we are grateful for the opportunity to have interviewed Eli.

In part two of our Circumcision series, we are joined by a Jewish man! Rarely do we ever have a man on our podcast, but because this is a practice performed on men— and often times, Jewish men— we needed to hear Eli's takes directly from the source.

Eli Ungar-Sargon is the Founding Executive Board member of the non-profit, Bruchim, and host of the Bruchim podcast. Eli grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family in Brookline, MA. At the age of 13, he and his family moved to Israel, where he later decided not to serve in the Israel Defense Forces. Instead, he chose to study medicine in the UK. Three years into his medical degree, Eliyahu shifted his focus to filmmaking. After earning two degrees from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he completed his first feature-length documentary, Cut: Slicing Through the Myths of Circumcision.

Bruchim's mission is to advocate for non-circumcising Jews in Jewish life, and to educate about the rich diversity of Jewish perspectives on circumcision and its alternatives.

We discuss:

• What was the pivotal moment that shaped Eli's opinion about circumcision?
• Can you still be considered Jewish if you are not circumcised?
• What's the alternative to a bris?
• How do Eli's personal views about circumcision compare to Bruchim's views as an organization?
• Is there a positive trend of Jewish families globally opting out of circumcision?
• How to be critical of circumcision without entering antisemitic territory?
• What are common antisemitic tropes about circumcision?
• How do you have tough conversations with other members of the tribe about circumcision?

Check out Bruchim's resources here

Listen to the Bruchim podcast here

Watch Eli's documentary here

University Lecture on Circumcision led by Ryan McCallister, PhD

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