D'un accommodement à un autre

The protocols are aimed at preventing the spread of herpes through the practice of metzizah b'peh, in which the circumcision wound is ritually cleaned by sucking out the blood and spitting it out. The policies stem from seven cases of neonatal herpes connected to the ritual. They included one child who suffered severe brain injury from the virus and another who died.

Last year, the city's health commissioner, Dr. Thomas Frieden, pushed to halt the practice. Jewish religious leaders lambasted the city for trying to halt a centuries-old practice, while the city came under fire from those who accused it of pandering to a small group at the expense of public safety.

Safety protocols agreed to for ultra-Orthodox Jewish circumcision ritual, Anne Miller, 13 juin 2006