•TNCelebrate

HONOR

from page 18

Kriat Ha-Shem

This guest will recite the prayer that
also announces the baby's Hebrew
name. It is considered the second-high-
est honor at the brit and traditionally
goes to the same category of persons
selected for the role of sandek.

M'zamen

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_This person will lead the birkat ha-
mazon or bentshing, the grace after the
festive meal following the ceremony.
Often, this honor is given to the
mohel.
At a brit, the birkat ha-mazon has a
special introduction, and at the end,
special prayers. In many places, the
mohel or some other distinguished
guest leads the bentshing, but each
additional special prayer is recited by a
different guest.
Although it is traditional to have a
meal after the brit (as indeed it is Jewish
tradition to eat a festive meal after every
important
lifecycle event, including b'nai mitz-
vah ceremonies and weddings —
though there's no law that says it has
to be chicken), this is not
always possible. Some families simply
cannot afford the food for many or
even for a few guests.
The absence or presence of a meal
after the ceremony has no bearing on
the religious soundness or kashrut of
the brit itself.

Mohel

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Many factors go into selecting a mohel,
but one principle to be
kept in mind is that traditionally,
the mohel is considered a guest at the
brit, and not just a hired functionary
who leaves after performing his task.
It is becoming increasingly corn-
mon for a family member or friend to
function as a master of ceremonies
whose basic function is to announce,
as the ceremony progresses, who is
being accorded an honor. This is espe-
cially useful where there are many
guests who do not all know each
other, or where the honorees are fami-
ly members or friends from out of
town.
Also, since not everyone is familiar
with the structure of a brit
ceremony, the announcer can explain
what is happening at each stage. ❑

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