A Jewish plastic surgeon is facing the heat for creating and uploading a video on YouTube that makes fun of the physical traits of the Jews, especially their noses.

Dr. Michael Salzhauer, known as Dr. Schnoz around Miami, is under an ethics investigation for having commissioned a song called Jewcan Sam (A Nose Job Love Song), which was written and performed by The Groggers, an Orthodox Jewish band in the US, Jewish press reports said.

The controversial video shows the lead singer of the band Doug Staiman wearing a yarmulke and trying to woo a blonde woman only to get rejected because of his beaky nose. Staiman, with a supposedly unsexy nose, buckles under pressure of a plastic surgeon, played by Salzhauer, and gets a nose job done which helps him capture the heart of another woman.

The song, named after Toucan Sam, the cartoon mascot for Froot Loops breakfast cereal with a bulging beak, has angered the American Jewish community who called the video anti-Semitic for perpetuating stereotypes hurting Jewish sentiments.

Andrew Rosenkranz, the Florida director for the Anti-Defamation League, said the video reinforces the negative stereotype of Jews having distorted features including large hooked noses.

For hundreds of years Jews have been depicted negatively with distorted features, including large hooked noses, Rosenkranz was quoted as saying. It's a physical trait that is associated with the image of the Jew as someone who doesn't belong, someone who is alien.

The video, uploaded about a month ago, with more than 130,000 views, has earned Salzhauer the title of self-loathing Jew.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons deemed the video inappropriate and offensive in a March 13 statement, and has opened an ethics investigation.

Rabbi Avi Shafran of Agudath Israel, an umbrella organization of Orthodox Jewish groups, has not seen the video but said that plastic surgery, unless intended to address a severe malformation, does not generally conform to Jewish values.

The Jewish ideal is to be happy with what we have, he told the Religion News website. None of us should allow others to make us unhappy about what God has given us, whether it be in terms of income, family, talents or facial features.

The Bal Harbour Plastic Surgery Associates website describes Salzhauer as an internationally recognized reconstructive surgeon, an author and an inventor with extensive experience in rhinoplasty (nose job), breast enhancements, body contouring, butt-lifts, mommy makeovers and male cosmetic enhancements.

Apparently, Salzhauer offered a free nose job to any of the members of The Groggers, which prompted Staiman to strike a deal with the surgeon to write and perform the 5-minute video.

Israel Florida Religion Religion