Bris basics

Mazel tov! You’ve given birth to a nice Jewish boy! Though sleep-deprived and shell-shocked, you’ve got eight days to plan a penis party, because as any observant Jew will tell you, a hospital-administered circumcision isn’t gonna cut it with Jewish law.

While superstition may prevent some parents from doing any advance planning, others get a jump on things during pregnancy. “I got the names of two or three mohels, scouted out two potential locations and had a caterer in mind,” says Greenwich Village mom Michelle Wolfson. “Once my son was born, we started making calls and somehow it all worked out. We held it at the Village Temple and served food from the Second Avenue Deli.”

Whether you’ve got eight days or eight months, here’s your guide to everything parents need to know about pulling off and surviving a city bris. Not sure what a bris is? Check out our “Cheat sheet for jittery goys.”

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