Sponsoring Kiddush

All members are expected to sponsor or co-sponsor a Kiddush once per calendar year. Arrangements for co-sponsoring are made by the sponsoring members.  Please contact the Kiddush Coordinator, Ginny Salzberg for scheduling.  You can also sign up on the Signup Genius.

Kashrut, Chevrei Tzedek's Climate Action Plan (or Green) Guidelines   & General Procedures
As a "Green" Congregation, congregants are encouraged to serve only plant based food (vegan) for kiddush.  However, food must be dairy or parve (should not have meat or meat products in contents). Kiddush sponsors should be careful to check that all labels of prepared food include a hekhsher, a symbol indicating that the food is kosher.  For special simchas, like a bar/bat mitzvah or wedding, you must use an approved caterer or vendor. For further details, please review Chevrei Tzedek's Kashrut Policy above, as approved by the Ritual Committee, or consult Rabbi Jacobs.

Unless you are hosting a special simcha and have invited guests, plan for a standard Shabbat Kiddush for approximately 30 to 40 people. 

Paper goods, serving bowls, platters and utensils are provided by Chevrei Tzedek. Please do not bring your own. We purchase non-petroleum based,  compostable items as much as possible. 

See below for amounts and food suggestions. There are often bags of chips/crackers/cookies in our cabinet in the kitchen which should be used whenever possible. 

Bread for HaMotzi is not required. If bread is part of Kiddush, a hand washing station should be available. Then Birkat HaMazon is required either communally or individually. 

Suggestions On What & How Much To Bring

• 1 bottle of kosher grape juice (Please check the refrigerator the week before your kiddush, as we often have plenty of grape juice)
• 1-2 platters cut-up vegetables. Cut-up or small vegetables suggestions: baby carrots, celery sticks, bell pepper sticks, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber sticks.
• 3-4 bowls of dips or spreads. Suggestions: salsa, hummus, and baba ganoush. 
• 2 platters/bowls of chips or pretzels .
• 2 platters crackers/pita/lavash.
• 2 platters fruit (melon pieces or slices, oranges, clementines or tangerine wedges, cherries, strawberries, berries, grapes, etc.).
• 2 platters cookies, brownies, or other handheld dessert. If you are bringing a cake for a special occasion, we recommend slicing cake at services, rather than in advance. We have utensils.
• Optional: Bowls or platter of pickled/salty items (nuts, olives, pickles, pickled eggplant, etc.).
• Pitchers for ice water are provided. If soda is desired, cans are the preferred as they are better able to be recycled.
• Sponsors may provide apple juice and a box of cookies,  crackers, pretzels or other snack item and/or fruit for the kids' room. Contact the Kiddush Coordinator or Youth Committee to determine if this is necessary.

Drop Off & Set Up
It's best to drop off your kiddush supplies at the Myerberg Center by 4 p.m. on Friday. Please let the Kiddush coordinator or the Chair know in advance if this is what you'll be doing, as the Myerberg closes at NOON on Friday afternoons and you will need to coordinate with someone who can let you in.

• Park your car by the kitchen door alcove and unload it directly into the kitchen. You'll need to come through the sanctuary to open the back door. Please don't carry supplies through the sanctuary when services are in progress.
• The contents of the cabinets (labeled Chevrei Tzedek) immediately to the left in the small kitchen room belong to us. You'll find paper goods, utensils, etc. Serving bowls and platters will be out on the counter for you. If they are not, please ask someone to help you find them in our closet. Serving carts are available.
• Please keep your voices low. Noise from the kitchen is louder than you think, and will disturb services.
• Set up includes pouring grape juice into small cups for Kiddush.
• Bring the serving carts out while announcements are being made at the end of the service.

Clean Up
Sponsors must stay until the end of Kiddush to clean up!

• There is a blue plastic trash container used for Chevrei Tzedek's recycling (the Myerberg does not currently recycle). The container is stored in the Chevrei closet. The kiddush sponsor should take it out of the closet and place it in plain view during the kiddush, and then return it to the closet after kiddush  if not full.  
• Put away all paper goods in appropriate locations.
• Do not leave open packages of food. All opened food must be removed (i.e. brought home by the sponsor are someone else) with the exception of refrigerated grape juice.
• Bowls, platters, food preparation tools must be washed, dried (soap, sponges and dishtowels are in a small blue basket) and returned to the metal storage cabinet to the right in the back closet.
• Carts, tables and counters must be wiped down.