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I have never attended an adult (usually a result of conversion, but not necessarily) brit. I am curious what parts of the ceremony are different from what occurs during a baby's brit. For example:

  • Is there a sandak or kvater?
  • The prayer for someone who wants to change his name. (Kudos to mevaqesh for clarifying that this is not halacha, though frequently converts do this.)
  • Do we say Baruch Haba at the beginning? Usually, atthis point, the baby would be carried in. Would an adult "walk down an aisle" or something while we said this?
  • Do we use kiseh shel Eliyahu? (Elijah's chair)

Is there anything else not mentioned above that is different? (I'm not discussing what may or may not be served during the se'udah.)

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    Note a convert isn't done converting until he dips in the Mikva. – Double AA♦ Feb 23 '17 at 18:03
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    I suspect you've never been to one because they are usually held in private. What adult man wants to expose himself in front of guests and then deal with the immediate pain in front of them as well?? – Double AA♦ Feb 23 '17 at 18:12
  • @DoubleAA AFAIK, they're usually held under anesthesia also, so that would negate the pain – Mennyg Feb 23 '17 at 20:09
  • From personal experience, it is done with local anesthetic. In my case the pain was minimal. I had witnesses present. Afterward there were some mezonot and l'chaims. – Menachem Eliyahu Feb 24 '17 at 0:07
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I have a friend who became religious through Operation Open Curtain, an organization whose goal is to bring Russian Jews in the Moscow area to Jewish observance. He received his bris when he was thirteen years old; by his recollection, there was very little fanfare in the whole process. They had him lay on an examination table, gave him local anesthetic and placed a pillow on his chest so he couldn't see what they were doing. They gave him a game boy to play with, pausing only so he could answer amen to the berachos. Someone did hold his head as a sandek of sorts, but that's all he remembers.

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  • I guess there weren't any "guests" there, either. – DanF Feb 23 '17 at 18:36
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    The "holding head" as the "Sandek" part I have heard about from someone who did it (but wasn't there to witness.) They only allow in the room the mohel, the "sandek" and a nurse/someone to administer the anaesthetic.) Very little fanfare but they did make a seudah afterwards and they said the nusach for the giving of the name over a cos. – Yehoshua Feb 24 '17 at 0:17

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