The Unkindest Cut

A Jewish man in Queens is suing a European research group for libel because it incorrectly stated that he was uncircumcised.

Angered over an online claim that he was not circumcised, a Queens man is suing a research group that mentioned the delicate subject on its Web site. John Singer, 49, is seeking unspecified damages for the allegedly libelous statement from the Central Europe Center For Research & Documentation, an academic group that specializes in Jewish history and culture.

Singer's elderly mother, Maryanna, was quoted saying neither of her two sons were circumcised in a 2005 interview for an article entitled, "Jewish Witness to a European Century," said Singer's lawyer, Michael Borrelli. The mother says she never said anything of the sort. Singer says he notified Centropa director Edward Serotta that the statement was incorrect before the article was published.

Despite the warning, the article with the offending statement appeared on Centropa's Web site last month, according to the suit. "Centropa.org and its editorial staff have violated my right to privacy of the most intimate part of my anatomy," Singer said. "They have caused me tremendous emotional pain and suffering. I feel humiliated and betrayed."

Singer's suit notes that being uncircumcised is a violation of Jewish law and tradition.