A baby shower is one of the customs many olim bring with them from the US, the UK, Canada, South Africa or Australia. In Israel it is less common, so the guest list usually mixes two groups: friends who have been to ten showers and know the routine, and Israeli friends, colleagues and in-laws who have never been to one. Meanwhile the grandparents, the aunts and the oldest friends are often in another time zone.
This guide plans a shower that works for all three groups, in one afternoon, in one room.
The format, explained for Israeli guests
A baby shower is a party for the parents-to-be, held a few weeks before the due date. Friends come, eat, play one or two light games, write something for the baby and bring a small gift. It lasts 3 to 4 hours. There are no speeches you have to sit through and nothing formal about it.
Put two lines about this on the invitation, in Hebrew and in English: what a shower is, and what guests are expected to do. Israeli guests relax the moment they know what the afternoon looks like.
Before the birth or after it
Many Israeli families have a custom of waiting until after the birth to celebrate, buy baby things or bring gifts. Some of your guests, or your in-laws, may feel more comfortable that way. Both customs come from the same wish: that the baby arrives well.
Some couples hold the shower before the birth anyway. Others wait and throw a 'meet the baby' party a month or two after, once everyone is ready for visitors. If part of the family keeps the custom, a quiet word with them before the invitation goes out avoids any awkward moment, and you can tell guests that gifts are welcome after the birth.
Timing: Friday noon
Why Friday noon works
Most of Israel works Sunday to Thursday, so Friday noon (shishi tzohorayim) is a real party slot here, not a compromise. A daytime slot runs from 12:00 or 13:00 to 17:00 or 18:00. Guests with children can come, nobody needs a babysitter, and the mother-to-be is home and resting by evening.
Check the clock abroad
Tel Aviv is usually 2 hours ahead of London and 7 hours ahead of New York. A video call at 15:00 on a Friday reaches London at lunchtime and the US East Coast at breakfast. Pick the call time first, then build the afternoon around it.
How far before the due date
Most showers happen 4 to 8 weeks before the due date, while the mother-to-be still has energy for a 4-hour party. Saturday evening is the other option if Friday doesn't suit the family.
8 ideas for a shower that works for everyone
1. A one-line welcome at the door
A small sign at the entrance: what a shower is, where the message book is, when the games start. It does the explaining so the hosts don't have to repeat it 30 times.
2. Games that need no explaining
Pick games anyone gets in 10 seconds. Guess-the-baby-photo, where guests send their own baby photos in advance and the room guesses who is who on the projector. A card to guess the birth date and weight. A short quiz on the parents-to-be. Skip anything that relies on an inside joke from one culture or puts a guest on the spot.
3. The grandparents on the big screen
A live video call on the projector, with sound through the room's speakers, so the grandparents abroad see the whole room and the room hears them. Keep it to 10 minutes at a fixed time, and do a test call the day before.
4. Recorded greetings from abroad
Friends and relatives who can't join live record 20 to 30 seconds each. Edit them into a 3-minute video and play it after the games. It works in any language and in any time zone.
5. A message book in any language
A book on a table where every guest writes a line to the baby: a wish, a piece of advice, a word in their own language. Hebrew, English, French and Russian on the same page is the point. The parents keep it for the child.
6. A mocktail list
Two or three alcohol-free cocktails on the menu, so the mother-to-be has something festive to hold. Name them after the baby's nickname or the parents' home cities. Guests who drink can still have wine or a cocktail from the bar.
7. A dairy-vegetarian sharing menu
Sharing plates from the taboon, a stone oven, passed around the room so guests can eat while they mingle. Tell the team in advance if the mother-to-be avoids certain foods during pregnancy.
8. The parents as babies
A slideshow of both parents as babies, 10 photos each, 5 seconds per photo. It takes 2 minutes, and it's the moment the Israeli and overseas guests laugh at the same thing.
Planning timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 6 weeks before | Pick the date and the video call time with the grandparents, book the space |
| 4 weeks before | Send the invitation, with the two-line explanation in Hebrew and English |
| 3 weeks before | Collect baby photos from guests and from both families |
| 2 weeks before | Ask friends abroad for 20 to 30 second greetings |
| 1 week before | Send the team the guest count, mocktail names, playlist and slideshow |
| 1 day before | Test the video call link with the grandparents |
What to bring on the day
- The message book and a few pens
- The welcome sign for the door
- Game cards and a small prize
- Slideshow and greetings video on a laptop
- The video call link, already tested
- A chair with cushions for the guest of honour
- One friend in charge of the gifts
Ezra for a baby shower
One group per event
Ezra is a private event space in Tel Aviv that closes for one group per event. The whole room is yours for the shower.
20 to 50 guests, up to 60
Most groups are 20 to 50 guests, with up to 60. A smaller group of 15 to 30 gets a different layout: seated, standing, or a mix.
Projector, screen and two microphones
A projector and fold-out screen, two microphones and a PA with two main speakers, a subwoofer, four monitors and a mixer are in the room. The video call and the slideshow need only your laptop.
Dairy-vegetarian menu, no kashrut certificate
The menu is sharing-style and dairy-vegetarian, from the taboon: no meat, no fish or seafood. Ezra has no kashrut certificate and is open on Shabbat, which is worth telling guests who keep kosher in advance.
An English-speaking team
The team speaks English, and the whole plan can be made over WhatsApp. See the formats on events at Ezra, and if the family abroad is also planning a welcome for a new oleh, see the aliyah party ideas guide.
The bottom line
A baby shower in Tel Aviv works when it explains itself. Two lines on the invitation for Israeli guests, games that need no explaining, and a live call that puts the grandparents in the room. Friday noon, 4 to 8 weeks before the due date, is the easiest slot. Book 4 to 6 weeks ahead, and respect the family members who would rather celebrate after the birth.
A baby shower in a private space, up to 60 guests
Food, bar and AV in one room, a projector for the grandparents' call and an English-speaking team. A proposal within 24 hours.
See events at Ezra Ask on WhatsAppFrequently asked questions
Do Israelis have baby showers?
Some do, but it is less common than in the US, the UK or Canada. Many Israeli families have a custom of celebrating and buying baby things only after the birth, so explain the format on the invitation.
When should a baby shower be held?
Most showers are held 4 to 8 weeks before the due date. In Tel Aviv, Friday noon from 12:00 or 13:00 is the easiest slot, because most people don't work on Friday and families with children can come.
How do we include grandparents who live abroad?
Put them on a live video call on the projector for 10 minutes at a fixed time, with sound through the room's speakers. Test the link the day before, and ask relatives who can't join live to record a short greeting.
What baby shower games work for guests who have never been to one?
Games that need no explaining: guess the baby photo, guess the birth date and weight, and a short quiz on the parents-to-be. Skip anything that depends on inside jokes or embarrasses a guest.
Is there a kosher option for a baby shower at Ezra?
No. Ezra has no kashrut certificate and is open on Shabbat. The menu is dairy-vegetarian only, with no meat, fish or seafood, served as sharing plates from the taboon.