Andrew Gross
February 27, 2024
At the beginning of this month I received an unsolicited message on my Twitter/X account from a Marina Rabin MD, who wrote, "Like your last name, your [sic] fucking gross." [1] The account owner had published dozens of anti-circumcision posts and claimed that she was a former mohel.
The Circumcision Choice team quickly deduced that the account was probably fake. When I contacted the real Dr. Marina Rabin, an experienced ob-gyn and a mohelet, she confirmed that she had never created nor used a Twitter/X account. She declared, "I am certainly not an 'anticircumcision activist.'" [2]
Yet gullible intactivists - being gullible - will believe anything that seems to support their agenda. Kenneth Hopkins, the leader of the Blood Stained Men protest group who calls himself "Brother K," posted a screenshot of a tweet in which the fake Marina Rabin made the absurd claim, "My brother threatened to violently murder me in graphic detail when I was trying to convince our sister not to have her son cut [she did and now I do not associate with either of them]." Hopkins cited the fake post as evidence that many "physicians are now connecting the dots" about "the violent institution" of circumcision.
After I reported the fake account, it was updated to include a "parody" label. And the owner has blocked me. Imagine that.
In that example someone who isn't Jewish pretended to be a real Jew, apparently believing that a Jewish identity will make a circumcision opponent more credible. In other cases Gentiles use their own identities to claim that they are Jewish. Back in October I exposed Eric Clopper, an attorney who unsuccessfully sued Harvard University and who has identified himself as a Jew in order to bolster his credibility. Based on his mother's Catholic education, it is almost certain that Clopper is not a Jew per the Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform standards. [3]
Then there is the case of Daniel Tati, a Denver man who has protested with the Blood Stained Men on several occasions. Tati typically holds a sign that reads, "THIS JEW HATES BEING CUT." Yet he has admitted that he was circumcised in a hospital, thus for secular reasons. [4] More damning is Tati's profession of his Christian faith and belief in Jesus Christ as his savior. [5]
David J. Bernstein is perhaps one of the earliest Jewish intactivists to be exposed as a fraud. For years Bernstein was a frequent commenter on Facebook and in comment threads on articles about circumcision. Identifying himself as a Jew, Bernstein angrily described the various ways that his infant circumcision had ruined his life physically, sexually, and emotionally. [6] In April 2014 other intactivists exposed him as a fraud: "David J. Bernstein" was an online persona created by Christian Wimmer, an uncircumcised German man. Wimmer begged intactivists not to reveal his deceit "because 'David J. Bernstein's anger' works very well in discussions! :)" [7]
[1] "Marina Rabin MD (parody)"; private X message to Andrew Gross; February 2, 2024
[2] Marina A. Rabin, MD; email to Andrew Gross; February 16, 2024
[3] Andrew Gross; "Supreme Court rejects Clopper v Harvard appeal"; Circumcision Choice; October 2, 2023
[4] Daniel Tati; comment on Bloodstained Men & Their Friends Facebook post; October 17, 2019. "He's attempting to start slow and build momentum. I think it's huge that [Andrew Yang] would come out against medical circumcision, especially since the majority of circumcisions done in this country are done in hospitals. I'm Jewish, and I was circumcised in a hospital."
[5] Daniel Tati; Facebook post; February 11, 2024
[6] For example: David J. Bernstein; comment; March 24, 2014
[7] David J. Bernstein; post in Intactivists Stop Circumcision Facebook group; circa April 19, 2014. (courtesy of CircFacts.org)