I have been invited to a bris (brit?) and am unsure if it is customary to bring a gift. I realize it is a deeply religious ceremony, not a baby shower, so a gift does seem weird to me. I've only been to one other, for my nephew, and it was a very small affair with family only. No gifts at that one. (and I can't ask my nephew's mother, who is the only other Jew I know, because now she and my brother are divorced!) Any other tips/customs would also be appreciated. Thanks!
I never attend an "event" without some kind of gift. I would not bring a chachka, but this is not an event to bring onesies either. You can never got wrong with a card and cash. This is kind of an equivelent to a christening or baptistm. Oh, and most Jews these days have baby showers too.
If this is the first time meeting baby, yes a gift would be nice. Most people give outfits, books or any cute baby gift is fine. If you have already given the family a baby gift, then you do not need to bring a gift.
Hi A.,
I would perhaps buy a small gift for the baby. I do not think it can hurt. You do not have to bring it the day of the event.
I hope this helps....
Enjoy the event. Usually the food is good after :)
Jilly
Actually a gift is normal, an outfit for the baby etc.(tradionally most Jewish families do not have baby showers, although this is changing in recent years) so the gift for the son is given at the bris. If there is a store that sells Judaica then you can look there (but if you are uncomfortable with that, being unfamiliar with the religion then you do not need to get a religious type gift).
And tell them Mazel Tov which means congrats!
I'm not from an observant family or branch of Judaism, so I have actually only attended one bris and it was a LONG time ago. As I recall, there were no gifts at that event, but my memory is hazy. Then again, now that I'm older and have kids, I'm thinking that since this ritual is similar to an infant's baptism (bringing a child into a faith), it would seem perfectly appropriate to give the parents something--a gift card to their favorite bookstore or baby- stuff store, a donation to the synagogue in honor of the event, ... depends what you think would be meaningful to them.
Other ways to get more information...Do you know any other people who have been invited? Maybe you could ask them what they're doing? Another possibility is to call a local synagogue (the yellow pages should have a section for them) and ask whether they can point you towards something like an online etiquette guide for Jewish life events--in the course of explaining your question, they may just answer it for you. Make it clear you are not presuming that it's their job to educate you about Judaism and Jewish culture, just that you hope they'll help you educate yourself. It's lovely that these folks are including you in what is indeed a very important moment. I hope you enjoy the company and celebrating (which as you know will last much longer than the actual cutting).
