In San Francisco Superior Court Judge Loretta M. Giorgi’s ruling on a June lawsuit complaining that municipalities cannot ban medical practices under state law, she notes: “the evidence presented is overwhelmingly persuasive that circumcision is a widely practiced medical procedure.”

“We are relieved to see this measure will not stand on the November ballot,” B’nai B’rith President Allan J. Jacobs said. “This measure to ban one of the most fundamental tenets of Judaism undermines our cherished American value of religious freedom.”

“The ballot initiative would have directly impinged on Jews’ ability to carry out a basic pillar of our faith,” B’nai B’rith International Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin said.

B’nai B’rith hopes that this successful legal challenge to the ballot initiative will weaken any efforts to take this initiative nationwide.