Shabbat Brit - kiddush or not?

amother

Tue, Oct 14 2014, 4:55 pm

I have a friend who is deliberating about the etiquette of a Shabbat brit.
Is it expected that the ba'aley simcha make a kiddush for everybody who attends the actual brit?
The brit will be after davening. A good portion of the congregation can be expected to remain for the ceremony and close friends who daven in other nearby minyanim will also come by.
The seudat mitzva will be Shabbat lunch after the brit but it is only for the immediate family and family members that came from OOT for the entire Shabbat, altogether about 25 people.
There will also be a shalom zachor Friday night if that matters.

Iymnok

Tue, Oct 14 2014, 5:22 pm

I think a simple kiddush is appropriate. People are used to food by a Bris. I've seen cake, ruggelach, herring and soda. If you are feeling very fancy get light blue plates.

abaker

Tue, Oct 14 2014, 5:34 pm

small kiddush at shul by the bris....then everyone can go home and have their shabbos lunch with their own family. fruit/cake/cookies/juice. perfect!

amother

Tue, Oct 14 2014, 6:07 pm

I think they are worried that friends who stay after davening for the brit or who come from other parts of the neighborhood might be taken aback or insulted that no refreshments are served after the ceremony.
Has anyone ever been to a brit - other than a fast day - where no food/drink was served?

Tue, Oct 14 2014, 7:15 pm

I was actually hoping for a shabbos bris so that I could have everything in the house, including the actual Bris, which would automatically keep the price down substantially. No obligatory invites that include half the city - just as much immediate family that would actually fit around the table.

But now, come to think of it, I guess I would have had to have some sort of cake and drink for the people that came for the bris.

MaBelleVie

Tue, Oct 14 2014, 9:05 pm

If the issue is money, they can keep it extremely simple with cake and beverages- and shave some costs from the family seuda. I do think people would find it odd not to have anything, and I've personally never been to a brit where guests aren't offered anything to eat.

mommyhood

Tue, Oct 14 2014, 9:32 pm

kb wrote:

Our Shabbos bris in the house cost more than our weekday bris and was the most exhausting experience of my life. During the week most people have work and only close friends and family come but on since it was Shabbos everyone we knew in our neighborhood came and catering the kiddush plus food for the family that came for Shabbos (you need 10 men for the seudah and most men come with wives etc.) was actually more than the caterer for our very simple weekday bris.

amother

Tue, Oct 14 2014, 11:08 pm

no kiddush! the whole shul will be there for the actual bris and only those who are invited to the seuda will stay for that. You dont invite the whole shul to the seuda!

patientmom

Tue, Oct 14 2014, 11:24 pm

We made a Shabbat Brit twice, at home, with a kiddush, that family, friends and neighbors provided most of what was served. Then a lunch for family (and very close friends) and we made it clear who was staying for the lunch.

EsaEinai

Wed, Oct 15 2014, 12:20 am

I just attended a shabbos Bris in a family friends home. They had some cookies, fruit and home made cakes on the tables along with some candies and refreshments. It was very simple, but it did the job. They had a seuda afterwards for just the family.

DrMom

Wed, Oct 15 2014, 12:44 am

amother wrote:

No.

I've been to brissim where very simple food was served, but no food? I've never been to *any* Jewish gathering on a non-fast-day with no food. Smile