The DOI matches its Crossref record.
Why Aren’t Jewish Women Circumcised?
Abstract
From Hellenistic to modern times, in the eyes of Jews and non‐Jews alike, circumcision is a sign that marks the boundary between Jews and non‐Jews. Jews are circumcised, gentiles are not. What, then, of Jewish women? Why are they not marked with a bodily sign attesting to their place within the covenant? Cohen argues that the Jews of antiquity seem not to have been bothered by this question probably because the fundamental Otherness of women was clear to them. Jewish women were Jewish by birth, but their Jewishness was assumed to be inferior to that of Jewish men. Jews and Christians, however, who opposed circumcision, used the non‐circumcision of women as one of their supporting arguments.
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In the citing paper
“In others, where only boys are cut, it is the lack of a similar rite for girls that reflects their lower status [55–58].”
From Reconsidering the role of patriarchy in upholding female genital modifications: analysis of contemporary and pre-industrial societies (2023) · cites this paper as [55]
In the citing paper
“in some of the most highly patriarchal societies, only male genital modification is practiced, because the ritual is seen as a privilege to which boys and men alone are “entitled” (as in Orthodox Judaism) [55–57].”
From Reconsidering the role of patriarchy in upholding female genital modifications: analysis of contemporary and pre-industrial societies (2023) · cites this paper as [55]
In the citing paper
“Thus, in at least some cases, patriarchy is associated with the exclusion of women and girls from genital modification, where this exclusion directly reflects their lower status [55].”
From Reconsidering the role of patriarchy in upholding female genital modifications: analysis of contemporary and pre-industrial societies (2023) · cites this paper as [55]
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Cited by
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Gruenbaum, E., Earp, B. D., & Shweder, R. A. (2023) · International Journal of Impotence Research · doi:10.1038/s41443-022-00581-5 · Cited by 31
Lunde, I. B., Hauge, M.-I., Johansen, R. E. B., & Sagbakken, M. (2020) · Ethnicities · doi:10.1177/1468796819896089 · Cited by 14
Metadata
- Authors
- Cohen, S. J. D.
- Affiliations
- Brown University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Cohen, Shaye J.D.
- ORCID
- Cohen, Shaye J.D.
- Venue
- Gender & History
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1997-11
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 560-578
- ISSN
- 0953-5233 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-0424
- OpenAlex
- W2053987436
- Cited by
- 28
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 0.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Gender & History (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Religious studies › Biblical Studies and Interpretation
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender and Feminist Studies
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Religious studies › Jewish Identity and Society
- Keywords
- female genital mutilation, Jewish women, Jewish identity, covenant, gender and Judaism, Hellenistic Judaism, early Christianity, Jewish-Christian polemics, ancient Judaism
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