April 5, 2024 — Bruchim, the nonprofit that is shattering taboos around Jewish circumcision, has launched a podcast to explore the practice through a critical lens. Founded in 2021, Bruchim supports non-circumcising Jews while encouraging synagogues and other Jewish institutions to accept the choice not to circumcise.
This 10-episode debut season of The Bruchim Podcast tells personal stories about circumcision and Jewish identity, and dives deeply into the relationship between ethics and Jewish law, from perspectives both skeptical and supportive of circumcision.
First season highlights include discussions with acclaimed novelist Gary Shteyngart, who went public about his botched circumcision and its aftermath in The New Yorker; and Mark Oppenheimer, whose credits include writing the Beliefs column for The New York Times.
“Discussion and debate are highly valued in Judaism, but circumcision remains the one topic that’s still largely off limits. Making an uncomfortable joke is OK, but serious discussion — that’s been off the table,” says Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon, who both produces and hosts The Bruchim Podcast. “Episodes will certainly have their funny moments, but we’re bringing care and rigor to this subject in a way that has never been done, while setting a new bar for quality online Jewish content that will enrich the Jewish world and broader society,” he says.
New episodes drop every Friday and transcripts and show notes can be found at https://www.bruchim.online/podcast/