Amid Growing Concerns, NYC Council Considers Further Restrictions On Metzitzah B’peh

By Sandy Eller
Posted on 03/16/17 | News Source: VIN

Brooklyn, NY - Metzitzah b’peh is once again being examined closely by city officials, this time with the City Council vowing to take action if it feels that the Department of Health is not doing an adequate job regulating the controversial custom.

As previously reported on VIN News (http://bit.ly/2mUjfxS), New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the city would investigate whether or not a coalition of rabbis was upholding a 2015 deal that would identify mohels who performed metzitzah b’peh on babies who later developed neonatal herpes and require them to undergo testing for the virus. 

Mohels who are found to be carriers would not be allowed to perform metzitzah b’peh under the agreement negotiated with Mayor de Blasio shortly after his election.

But concern has continued to grow amid reports that only two of six mohels linked to babies who underwent metzitzah b’peh and later contracted neonatal herpes, only two were identified. City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito announced today that since City Hall appears to have abdicated its responsibility in enforcing the agreement, the City Council may take additional steps to further regulate metzitzah b’peh, reported the New York Post (http://nyp.st/2nwJXun).

“We are looking into it at this moment,” said Mark-Viverito. “We are obviously going to see what the Department of Health, what action they take, and then decide what steps we will take.”