Costs of bris/pidyon haben

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amother

Sun, Dec 03 2006, 8:06 pm

I'm curious what to expect to pay for these parties.

What does a mohel usually cost?

What to pay for pidyon haben, aside from food. never been to 1.

Is pidyon haben in shul like a bris?

thanks for your help.

chocolate moose

Sun, Dec 03 2006, 8:30 pm

Are you having a sholom zochor too?

amother

Sun, Dec 03 2006, 8:36 pm

yes, but that should just be the cost of the food.

That shouldn't be too expensive unless it is very fancy right?

but I really dont know about mohel's and pidyon haben.

gryp

Sun, Dec 03 2006, 8:39 pm

it depends where you live and it depends on the mohel.

amother

Sun, Dec 03 2006, 8:54 pm

NY estimated cost

Shalom Zachor

at home = 500$
in shul = 1000$

Bris

Caterer = (basic standard but not fancy) 950$ (including waiters)
Hall rental = (shul member) 250$
Mohel = 600$

Pidyon Haben (really cheap and small) = 2000$

amother

Sun, Dec 03 2006, 9:02 pm

Why is a pidyon haben so expensive?

What are you paying for?

Ive never been to one so I'm clueless about what goes on there.

I can't believe that ppl really pay all that money shock

Flowerchild

Sun, Dec 03 2006, 9:06 pm

by me shalom zachor=free

mohel=$300

brit mila

made in brother-in-laws house and catered simple food which came out to around $300 or so

no pidyon

amother

Sun, Dec 03 2006, 9:09 pm

amother wrote:

Why is a pidyon haben so expensive?

What are you paying for?

Ive never been to one so I'm clueless about what goes on there.

I can't believe that ppl really pay all that money shock

It was 36$ a couple included the hall plus some other fees like waiters.

ceo

Sun, Dec 03 2006, 9:27 pm

GASP! these costs are outrageous!!!

Shalom Zachor- in our apartment. We only bought paper goods and drinks (mostly soft drinks, 1 bottle of whisky). Friends and neighbors brought over all the cakes, cookies, etc....

Bris: in our shul. We did trays with bagels, lox, vegetables, cheeses, etc.., buffet style. The food cost us about $500. We also had to get paper goods and drinks. I think we had about 80 people- it waas a sunday morning, so more people came than a weekday morning. We made some sort of donation to the shul ($180) for using the room.

Mohel: Our mohel did not charge a set fee. Our Rav told us to give him a minimum of $200. We gave $250.

we did not have a pidyon ha-ben.

lubcoralsprings

Sun, Dec 03 2006, 10:10 pm

When it comes to a simcha you have to do what you can. I would say spend according to your means and it's the simcha that matters, not the food.

amother

Sun, Dec 03 2006, 10:12 pm

thank you for your replies.

I have an idea now of what the shalom zachor and bris will cost.

But I am confused about the pidyon ha-ben.

Can someone explain what it includes? I would have no idea what to expect if I were to go to one.

Is it very normal to have it in a house (like a sheva brachos), or is it more common to have in a shul (like a bris)?

What type of food do you serve? Is it like bris food?

What do you have to pay for besides for food/papergoods and perhaps the shul/hall?

Sorry for sounding so naive, but I've never been to one and know little about it.

cindy324

Sun, Dec 03 2006, 10:25 pm

I've been to 3 pidyon habens in my life. They were all made in a catering hall with a full 4 course meal. Of course they were also all paid for by the proud grandparents. all three simchas had an attendance of about 150 people.

I'll tell you this much, I am so grateful to Hashem for my 3 girls!! LOL

Also, I thought that a Mohel is not supposed to have a fee. They are supposed to do it for free, but of course it is costumary (and expected I'm sure) to offer anywhere from $200-$500, according to your means.

Mommy3.5

Sun, Dec 03 2006, 10:25 pm

having had 4 sons, we have done this alot.

The bris, we did it in a hall each time, except for our shabbos bris that took place at home! men davened in shul had the bris went down to the shul party room (or in one sons case, shul sukkah) served a fairly simple but beatiful spread. that was about 1000.00 each time. the mohel was between 3-400.00

Our pidyon was a sit down affair. It was the first one in both our families, the first thing you do is find a cohen, who will sell you the coins and tell you more about what you need to do.

the pidyon haben for most people is a sit down meal, yes it can be done in your home, it does not need to be in a hall, but it is easier when you have a caterer, to do all the setting up and cleaning up. It is not something a women 30 days postpartum should be taking upon herself.

The piyon can be small, for family and close friends, and it can easily be done for 1000 or even less if you are frugal. You can have it catered in your home, to significantly lower the costs.

good luck and mazal tov!

Oh and little boys are expensive in the first month of thier lives, but little girls will cost more in the long run! Wink

amother

Sun, Dec 03 2006, 10:47 pm

Pidyon haben, the food is usually equiv to what pple serve at sheva brachos plus a large challah. All the ones I've been to were in halls. Other than the meal you need a kohen and silver coins and a tray to put it and the baby on and those little bags of sugar & garlic stuff.

amother

Sun, Dec 03 2006, 10:57 pm

Mommy3.5 wrote:

the first thing you do is find a cohen, who will sell you the coins and tell you more about what you need to do.

Do you have to pay the cohen?

Quote:

the pidyon haben for most people is a sit down meal, yes it can be done in your home, it does not need to be in a hall, but it is easier when you have a caterer, to do all the setting up and cleaning up. The piyon can be small, for family and close friends, and it can easily be done for 1000 or even less if you are frugal. You can have it catered in your home, to significantly lower the costs.

This sounds similar to a sheva brachos. And if it's in a house then there would be around 20-30 ppl. Does this sound right?

micki

Sun, Dec 03 2006, 11:42 pm

we had our bris today!
500 mohel more cause he had to travel to us
hall 175
food/caterer 550 includes 70 dollar tip to girl helpers.
120 mashgiach/waitress

Bell

Mon, Dec 04 2006, 12:07 am

mazel tov micki.

BH my parents pais for the shalom zachor, bris & pidyon haben.
Pidyan haben is def the most $ b/c its sit down meal to e/1 thats invited while on the other hand the brid was more opem housde buffet style (shabbos) so maybe they did come out about the same. Our moel was also our kohen

amother

Mon, Dec 04 2006, 12:07 am

Mazel Tov Micki!

amother

Mon, Dec 04 2006, 12:28 am

Do you have to pay the Kohen? How much?

Marion

Mon, Dec 04 2006, 1:58 am

In Jerusalem, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has a set fee the mohel can charge. It is 1070 shekel, including VAT. (About $200.) Most mohalim tell you to pay what you can if you can't afford that. We paid about $8 per person (80 people) for our catered breakfast, which included set up, clean up, service (buffet, but there was still staff), paper goods, main course(s), and sweet table. We did not have to pay for the shul/hall as we are members and according to the membership agreement members can use it at no additional cost.

The pidyon haben, we bought the coins at one of the jewellers (400 shekel). And we used the same hall (free), and did a potluck -- the cheese platters cost me 150 shekel in cheese, and our friends and family brought pasta salad, veggie platters, rolls, fruit platters, rice salad, potato salad, etc. MIL provided the lox and cream cheese. It was much smaller, just family (around 40 people, and 10 close friends...all kohanim!). We had our choice of kohanim, so one did the pidyon, one made a formal hamotzi and the 3rd led benching.

We did not pay the kohen, as he would have been insulted, but we did "buy back" the coins at the end so we'd have them as a memento, and he'd have some money in his pocket. I think we gave him 200 shekel for the coins (we offered full value but he said there's no mitzvah to buy them twice).

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