Question to my Jewish mommy to be of boys...

How are you guys planning the bris? My mom's only had girls, so I'm confused. I know it has to be 8 days after the birth, so how do you schedule it if you're having it catered or at a restaurant? and are you just doing immediate family and close friends? i dont know where to cut off friends. ive had alot of them most of my life. help!!

Re: Question to my Jewish mommy to be of boys...

Hi,

Well for starters, you don't " invite " people to a bris, going to a bris is a mitsva(sp) and it is spread by word of mouth. Not everyone will come esp. if you have it during the week and you have to guestimate how many will attend. You are not the one spreading the word really, call a few of the closest people , and word of a bris spreads like wild fire.... a bris is a huge deal in our religion.

I have never ever been to a bris at a restaurant, and I do not think you can have one there simply because you do not know exactly when the baby will get there among other reasons .

Most bris are performed in a temple where you cater in the usual spread of bagels , lox ect OR in someone's home , same type of catering .

Also , once you find a moyel , they will give you further info on how to plan.

Message edited 6/2/2009 4:02:23 PM.

Re: Question to my Jewish mommy to be of boys...

Re: Question to my Jewish mommy to be of boys...

Re: Question to my Jewish mommy to be of boys...

dh is jewish and i am catholic, so we took a more lax approach to the bris, but for what it's worth...

-we contacted a mohel a couple months beforehand so that he could tentatively write the bris into his schedule (like, for that month)

-once the baby was born, the family all heard via word of mouth. we sent a mass email to all of our colleagues, though, since very few are jewish/know the tradition. it basically announced the birth and invited anyone and everyone to stop by our house on the day of the bris

-we actually had the bris a few days later than is done traditionally so that it would fall on a weekend - this was important to us since our entire family lives out of state. our mohel had no problem with it.

- as far as the party goes, we had it at our house with lots of finger foods

hope that helps!

Re: Question to my Jewish mommy to be of boys...

Since DS was born by c-section after sun down, his bris was on the 9th day not the 8th. The mohel and my rabbi insisted that was the proper thing to do. PP is correct, you don't invite people to a bris, it is a mitzvah to attend one. DSs was on a Thursday morning - we did it at 10 am and had almost 70 people come to my parent's house. We used Cantor Phil Sherman. We contacted him b/f we had DS. Originally I was a scheduled c/s but became an emergency c/s. The morning after I delivered DS I called Cantor Sherman and scheduled the bris. He has a website and I had already paid for it and completed the paperwork. My parent's rabbi and cantor came to their house as well and they did some additional special blessings and songs as well as the official baby naming.

The mohel required wine, cup, 4x4 gauze pads, ointment, pillow, and a small table. Cantor Sherman had the list on his website but I think the above was it.

My parents called Ben's and they did the food. (I can remember they had bagels, lox, tuna salad, egg salad, white fish salad, fruit, regular salad, cookies, a variety of cream cheeses).They also recommended someone to come to my parents house to serve, set up and clean up. She was fabulous. My parents got a cake from a local bakery. My mom went to party city and got the paper goods too.

While the circumcision was happening I stayed upstairs b/c I was a nervous wreck. It was very emotional for me.

We have been to a bris at the Waldorf-Astoria, Temples, and in people's homes.

Message edited 6/2/2009 7:33:08 PM.

Re: Question to my Jewish mommy to be of boys...

I was about to same thing as the above poster

Re: Question to my Jewish mommy to be of boys...

thank you for all these responses! im so clueless with this. so another question. if u dont technically invite people, how do you know how many people are coming to order food?

Re: Question to my Jewish mommy to be of boys...

We are going to have the bris at our house most likely. I will probably order bagel boss...and I will have to estimate who is coming. you CAN ask people to let you know if they are coming - but you never know.

I don't know when you are due...I am due around the jewish holidays - when there are holidays involved the bris is not always the 8th day after, something to keep in mind.

Re: Question to my Jewish mommy to be of boys...

Re: Question to my Jewish mommy to be of boys...