London – A synagogue representative on the Board of Deputies of British Jews has been removed from her position after advocating a ban on circumcision.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
The New West End Synagogue, a modern-Orthodox synagogue in west London, rescinded Rebecca Steinfeld’s position as the Under-35 Observer on the Board of Deputies, after referring to circumcision as “male genital mutilation” in an article in the Guardian last week.
Under-35 observers were introduced by the Board two years ago in order to encourage younger people to get involved in community politics.
In a letter to the community representative organization’s chief executive, Jon Benjamin, the synagogue’s main Board Representative Dori Schmetterling said: “Further to our earlier discussions, I confirm that the Executive of the Board of Management of the New West End Synagogue has decided that Rebecca Steinfeld’s position as the Under-35 Observer at the Board of Deputies is rescinded, effective immediately.
A student at Oxford University, Steinfeld is member of the anti-Israel group Jews for Justice for Palestinians.
New West End is a non-orthodox synagogue established by the late Louis Jacobs who overtly rejected Torah min Hashamayim in his book “reason to believe”
It’s Reform, but even they recognize this woman is a self-hating Jew. My late father was on the Board of Deputies…he’s cheering!
The New West End is most definitely an Orthodox shul, and is a member of the United Synagogue. While Louis Jacobs was the Rabbi, he left to start up the New London, which has nothing to do with the New West End.
It puzzles me why a girl with such radical views associates herself with a synagogue.
Louis Jacobs was at one point tipped to be Chief Rabbi. He was a brilliant man, but some politics happened (I did once know why having heard it from my father A”H but I don’t remember the details.) My father was always bothered that such a brilliant man who knew Halacha so well could throw it all away because he was insulted over something.
To #6 the “politics” was he published an article denying torah min hashamayim…. that’s pretty relevant to an orthodox rabbi!
All the protagonists in the “Jacobs Affair” are now dead. Let’s get this discussion back on track and discuss the here and now.
In case you had forgotten, we are discussing Miss Rebecca Steinfeld and her attitude to brit milah.
It is not just her opposition to “brit milah.” She has also written a doctoral thesis accusing Israel of having a “eugenics program” to promote Jewish births and discourage Arabs from having large families. (if there ever was such a program, it is discontinued now, because the only Jews having large families were and still are the Haredim) It’s doubtful that Ms. Steinfeld has mentioned this.
She is also a ferocious anti-Zionist. So why would she even want to be on the board of any Jewish organization? Except Neturei Karta, but they won’t have her because she is a female.
She has also written articles opposing shechita, criticising Israel for trying to ensure a Jewish majority, and supporting the Goldstone report. Why she is a member of an Ortho synagogue, I don’t know…perhaps it’s trendy?
Interesting– I guess Becky figured that the one thing that was missing from the Board of Deputies of British Jews was a rabid, out-in-left-field, anti-Semite. Where will they find another one to replace her?