When and Where?

A brit milah is performed on the eighth day after a child is born (even on Shabbat, festivals and Yom Kippur), often in the morning after morning prayers (though it is permissible until sunset). The ceremony may be conducted anywhere - in a hall, house or Synagogue, customarily in the presence of friends and family.
One is forbidden to push off the day of the brit for the sake of scheduling convenience. On the other hand, one is obligated (according to Jewish law) to delay the ceremony for medical considerations.
Common medical reasons for postponing the brit include:
premature birth, particularly low birth weight, jaundice-very common among newborns, and any condition in which the child's health is not perfect.
A doctor and mohel may also not perform a brit because of an irregularity in the genital organ. When a brit is postponed more than six months, the Israeli Chief Rabbinate mandates a doctor's presence alongside the mohel at the time of the circumcision.

As new parents, you need to make a few decisions in the short week that you have:

Check List

	Choosing time and place
	Informing the guests
	Assigning responsibilities
	Choosing a mohel
	Choosing a name
	Purchasing the necessary ointments
	Photocopying the prayers

 

 

 

 

You must choose a time and place for the brit. If the brit is during the winter, make sure that the place will be warm enough for the baby. If you are nursing your baby, make certain there is a sufficiently private room in which to nurse your baby after the circumcision.

Inform your guests of the time and place of the circumcision.It is worthwhile to hire a photographer or to find a family member who will assume this responsibility.

Choose a mohel who will perform the brit. Discuss in advance his rate, his travel arrangements and his precise time of arrival. He should visit your house to check your baby and instruct you in caring for the baby before and after the brit.

If possible, buy the anesthetic and antiseptic creams recommended by your mohel in advance.

Choose a name for your newborn.

Photocopy copies of the text of the ceremony or download them by clicking here. If you give your guests the text, they will feel more involved in the event. Alternatively, you could hand out siddurs.

Decide which relatives and friends, if any, will receive special responsibilities at the brit. If you, the parents, plan to speak at the brit, to explain the name you chose or to offer words of thanksgiving, prepare your speech in advance. If you would like a relative or friend to speak, let him or her know.

Why is a Brit Milah a Public Event?

It is customary to celebrate a brit milah with a festive meal attended by one's friends and family. This celebration is both personal - friends and family want to participate in the joyous occasion, as well as national - since this event marks the child's entry into the Jewish people, the entire "nation" celebrates with him. The guests also lend a festive air to the naming ceremony, which occurs at the brit.

Customs in the week before the circumcision

Shalom Zachar:
On the Friday night after the birth (and before the circumcision) some have the custom to invite relatives and friends to join them after the meal, to mark the occasion with food, drink and song. It is customary to serve chickpeas and round lentils, signs of fertility and of the cycle of life. Often the grandparents of the newborn organize this celebration, since the parents themselves are still in the hospital or recovering from the birth.

Tikun Eliyahu:
On the night before the brit, some people have the custom to have 'a night of watching' – that is of study beside the baby's crib. This custom, called 'Tikun Eliyahu', is based on the idea that since the life of the newborn is in danger until after his brit milah, he shouldn't be left unattended. Some traditions bring young children to recite 'Shema' by the baby's bedside.