His answer - nothing - prompted him to create an alternative
to the brit mila, one in which the "painful, harmful, and dangerous"
aspects of removing the foreskin have nothing to do with welcoming a
child into the Jewish community.
His "brit shalom" ceremony takes its textual direction from
the verse in Leviticus, "And the Lord said, 'You shall not make
cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor imprint any marks upon you.' "
After declaring that "the covenant between God and the Jewish
people will continue after the symbolic token, circumcision, is
abandoned," the ceremony continues with familiar prayers and customs -
such as blessing a glass of wine and prominently featuring a sandak
(someone who holds the baby during the event) - performed with a twist
that emphasizes the baby's perfect form, sans circumcision.
Brit shalom, also called an alternative brit, brit b'li mila
(covenant without cutting) or brit haim (covenant of life), is
practiced among Jews - primarily in America - who oppose circumcising
their children, or who think that since the traditional practice only
welcomes males into the covenant, it's sexist.