How to Host a Bris Party

It is a great mitzvah and a Talmud commandment to host a party after a bris. Even people who aren't Jewish won't find it difficult to host the event for a friend or family member whose child is the guest of honor.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Selection of food and wine
• Carpet cleaner
• Blank invitations
• Paper plates, napkins and cutlery
• Chairs and tables

Prepare Your Home for a Bris

1. Push chairs and tables to the edges of the room where the bris will be held. It is customary for guests to stand around the baby and mohel during the ceremony.

2. Move a sturdy table to the center of the room where you are holding the bris. The mohel will need it for the baby during the ceremony. Visit Torah View's Web site for a list of items the mohel will need (see Resources below).

3. Prepare the baby for the bris. Make sure to feed the baby 2 hours before the bris, and dress him in a nightgown. The host should make sure the baby has time to rest before the bris, so no one except the parents should visit with the child beforehand.

4. Choose a Chair of Elijah that the baby can be placed upon temporarily. It is said that Elijah the prophet comes to every bris. The chair should be padded and have armrests to prevent the child from falling during the ceremony.

Create a Post-Bris Party

5. Decide where you want guests to congregate while eating, and set those areas up beforehand. A bris celebration often allows guests to mingle, so consider placing small tables and chairs in two rooms of your home to give people a choice of where to sit.

6. Purchase red wine and grape juice for the party. They are traditional drinks at all Jewish celebrations.

7. Provide a spread of food for your guests. An acceptable amount ranges from just challah and wine to a scrumptious dinner. Choose some ethnic foods, such as matzo balls, but also provide crowd-pleasing foods like salads. If many young children will be attending the party, offer kid-friendly foods like hot dogs.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase blank invitations for the bris so you can fill in the information at your leisure. If you do not know the sex of the child, purchase invitations with non-gender-specific messages, so you can use them for another event if a bris is unnecessary.
• Have some carpet cleaner on hand during the party. Wine and grape juice are traditional drinks--that traditionally end up spilled on the floor!