The American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending for the first time that pain relief, such as local anesthetics, be provided to infants being circumcised. And it will continue to remain a rite of passage for Jews as long as there is an organized Jewish community. The covenant of circumcision, first commanded by God to Abraham, is still followed by the majority of Jews around the world. But some Jewish parents have opted to forgo what they see as a barbaric custom.
Opponents argue that circumcision inflicts permanent physical and psychological damage.
Until recently most circumcisions in hospitals were performed without anesthesia. The practice among mohels varies considerably both with regard to technique and the level of pain relief provided. But this finding is no surprise to most Jews. Pain has been with us from the time of Adam and Eve. Tendler also noted that the academy had issued a report in 1993 on the effectiveness of lidocaine as a topical analgesic for use during circumcision.