The Thing You Don't Know You Need for Your Baby's Bris (Plus the Complete Checklist)

Your son has been born, or is about to be. The eighth day is on the calendar.

And somewhere between the joy and the exhaustion, one question starts to repeat itself:

What do we actually need to have ready?

After 19 years and more than 6,000 brisses across South Florida, I hear this question in almost every first conversation. And I always start with the same good news: you need much less than you think.

Below is the complete checklist, in the order that makes sense. And at the end, I'll tell you about the one thing almost no parent thinks to prepare.

What I Bring, So You Don't Have To

Let's start with what is already taken care of.

When I arrive at your home, I bring the Brit pillow, the tallit, the kosher wine, and all the sterile medical supplies. You do not need to source or prepare any of it.

Everything else on this list is the personal part, the part that makes the day yours.

Before the Bris

• The Hebrew name. Your son receives his Hebrew name during the ceremony. If you have it decided, wonderful. If you are still torn between two names, call me. This is a conversation I love having.
• The family honors. Who will be the Kvatter and Kvatterin, who carries the baby in? Who will be the Sandak, who holds him during the bris? Deciding early avoids stress on the day. If you want to understand each honor, I explain them in my guide to the Sandak.
• A comfortable outfit for the baby. Something soft, loose, and easy to change, with snaps or easy openings. Avoid anything with a tight waistband. Your son will be changed several times that day.
• A kippa for your son. Many families like to have one for him. It is optional, and it makes for beautiful photos.
• A cup for the blessing. Many families choose a special cup, one they will keep and perhaps use again at their son's milestones. I bring the kosher wine for the ceremony.
• A comfortable setup. A room with enough space, a sturdy chair for the Sandak, and a table. When we talk the week before, I help you decide exactly where everything goes.
• The seudat mitzvah. The festive meal after the bris is part of the mitzvah. Plan the food, the drinks, and a rough headcount. Many families have it catered so the parents can simply be present.
• A Shalom Zachar, if it is your custom. Many families gather on the first Friday night after a son is born. Customs vary, so if you are unsure, ask me or your rabbi.

For the First Days at Home

This is the part most families forget to prepare, and the part where good preparation makes the biggest difference.

• Sterile gauze. You will use it at every diaper change in the first days.
• Petroleum jelly (Vaseline) or the healing ointment I provide. Applied generously at every change, it keeps the gauze from sticking. It is the most important step in the healing process.
• Soft, loose diapers and clothing. Nothing that presses on the site.
• Infant pain relief, as your pediatrician directs. Ask your pediatrician about the right product and dose for your baby before the bris, so you are not searching at midnight.
• My phone number. Not a supply, but the most useful item on the list. For the next 10 to 15 days I am available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Photos, questions, reassurance at any hour. My full day-by-day guide is on the blog: Bris Aftercare: A 10-Day Guide for New Parents.

The Thing You Don't Know You Need

Here is what I have noticed after thousands of brisses.

Parents plan the food. The outfit. The honors. The setup. Almost nobody plans something to keep.

And then the day passes in a blur of joy, the way the most important days do. It is natural to want something to hold on to afterward: an object you can touch, a prayer you can read together, a reminder on a shelf that this is the day your son entered the covenant.

That is the thing you don't know you need. So I made it.

The Bris Kit

The Bris Kit is a box built for this moment. It brings together what parents usually spend weeks hunting for, along with things to keep and remember this beautiful day. It arrives beautifully packed in a gift box, ready to open.

Inside every Bris Kit:

• A post-care pouch with the essentials for the healing days
• A kippa for your son
• An acrylic Shema plaque
• A silver cup
• Kedem grape juice
• The "Now I'm Kosher by Rabbi Yossi Srugo" onesie
• A set of prayer cards
• Decorations and keepsakes to remember this beautiful moment
• A copy of Shira n' Spice, The Thank You Song, my children's book about Modeh Ani

The Bris Kit is $279 and ships worldwide. It is perfect for new parents, and just as perfect for grandparents and friends who ask, "What can we bring?" or "What can we send from far away?"

One Last Thing

If the list feels long, take a breath.

You do not have to do all of this alone. You do not have to get every detail right. The only things that truly matter are that your son is healthy, that your family is gathered, and that you feel ready to stand in that moment with your eyes open.

That is what I am here for.

If you are expecting a baby boy, or your son has just arrived, reach out to me directly. The first conversation is always personal, always unhurried, and always free.

Rabbi Yossi Srugo is a Board Certified and Rabanut Certified Mohel serving Jewish families across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County. He performs Brit Milah in Ashkenazic and Sephardic traditions, in Hebrew, English, and Spanish.