Mazel Tov, Mazel Tov!!

Whether you are going to set up your own Kiddush or hire someone to do it for you – we are happy to present the following Kiddush Policy/Guidelines to the Kehillah.

Confirm the Date:

It is preferable that you e-mail the Gabboim to confirm if the shul is available for the date that you would like. aishkodeshrbs@gmail.com  Alternatively, you can meet any of the Gabboim in shul.

Location and Setup:

The men’s Kiddush is set up in the shul.

There are two options for setup.

1. Setup each table in the men’s section separately.

2. Setup a large center table.

The women’s Kiddush is held in the Ezrat Nashim.  

There are folding tables in the Erzrat Nashim for setting up the kiddush.

Amounts:

On a standard shabbat the shul has approximately 200 men/children and 50 women.

However, for kiddushim (Bar Mitzvah ,etc) that number is usually larger.

Please plan on enough food/drink/supplies for 250 men and 75 ladies.

Please take into consideration the number of guests you will be having from outside the shul and add accordingly.

Paper goods:

Please ensure that there are small plates, serving plates, cups, l’chaim cups, napkins , plastic ware and disposable servingware, or anything else that will be necessary depending on your menu selection.  Remember that if you are serving cholent, you will need to provide large serving bowls, if you are serving kugel you need serving platters, etc.

Drinks:

A good rule of thumb is one bottle of drink for every 4 to 5 people. If it is a warmer day, then probably 4 people per bottle.

That translates to approximately 70 bottles of drinks.

A mixture of sodas, juice drinks and water is suggested.

NOTE: Do NOT bring Coke/Pepsi or any dark colored sodas to the shul. We have had experience of them staining the floor. Please stick to light colored drinks (Sprite, floavered waters, seltzer, jucies)

Please bring 2 bottles of grape juice for Kiddush.

Food:

The menu choices are at your discretion.

Most simchot consist of drinks, herring, and assortments of crackers, cake and kugels.

Herring: Aish Kodesh men like herring, so make sure you order plenty and have enough crackers (3 large boxes). Don’t forget to bring toothpicks for the herring. Herring providers can be Chaim Pinksy, Dovid Axelrod, Weismandel Catering, Shefa Shabbs in the Kirya.

Cake/Rugelach - You need an average of 2-3 pieces per person. Do the math.

Kugel - One large Yerushalmi Kugel pot is usually enough. 3-4 Large pans of Potato Kugel.

NOTE: Please be sure NOT to serve ANY PRODUCTS WHICH CONTAIN PEANUTS OR NUT PRODUCTS as there are shul members who are severely allergic to these items.  For example, do not serve Bamba or other peanut snacks.

Hashgachos:

The Rebbe requests that all food and drink brought for the Kiddush are under Mehadrin Hashgachos.

Set Up:

Everything should be brought to the shul by Friday afternoon. Make arrangements in advance with the Rebbe or Rebbetzin regarding hot food.

While we have a number of energetic mispallelim who consistently help to serve, we kindly ask that the Ba’alei Simcha be responsible for setting up and serving.  This means that the Ba’alei Simcha should know who is setting up on Friday, who is serving the food on Shabbos, who is cutting the kugel, who is scooping out the cholent, etc. It could be volunteers from the family, from the shul, or hired help from outside.

Clean Up:

Here especially, the Ba’alei Simcha need to be responsible for clean up and setting the Beis Medrash back up. There are brooms and dustpans in the large upstairs bathroom. Trash bags are in the drawers near the sink in the Beis Medrash. Trash bins are located right outside the shul.