Kiddush Sponsorship
Thanks so much for sponsoring kiddush at Altshul! As you know, kiddush only happens because of people like you, so thanks again for volunteering!
On this page you’ll find all the info you need about sponsoring kiddush at Altshul. If you need ideas about where to get food or what food to bring, or have other kiddush-related questions, please email kiddush@altshul.org!
What’s involved in sponsoring kiddush?
Sponsoring kiddush involves:
Buying or making food and buying grape juice
Bringing it/having it delivered to CBE
Setting it up
Clearing up and taking home any leftovers
How many people should I cater for?
To ensure there is enough food, plan for about 100 people as your target for a normal Shabbat service. That’s a lot of people, but remember that you do not need to provide lunch: it’s just a sip of grape juice and a small snack.
All purchased food must be hechshered, including cheese, grape juice, and wine vinegar. All homemade food should be prepared in a kosher or strictly vegetarian kitchen. Food must not be cooked or purchased on Shabbat. Altshul’s kashrut policy can be found on our website.
Please note: It is the custom of Altshul not to provide bread as part of kiddush so as not to necessitate washing, hamotzi, and birkat hamazon. Mezonot (e.g. pita chips, crackers) and/or bagels are welcome but not necessary.
How much should I bring?
This completely depends on what you’re bringing and how fancy you want your kiddush to be, but here is an approximation:
● 2 bottles of kosher grape juice
● Other drinks such as juice, juice boxes, seltzer, etc.
● 1-2 platters of fruit (e.g. clementines)
● 4 platters of vegetables (e.g. baby carrots)
● 5 boxes of crackers
● 2 large or 4 small containers of hummus
● 4 containers of additional snack foods such as popcorn, pretzels, chips, etc.
● 4 trays of cheese or lox
● 8 boxes of cookies/cakes
What if I would like to bring bagels?
Some people like to provide bagels at kiddush. Not necessary, but always appreciated! (Altshul policy holds that bagels do not require washing, hamotzi, or birkat hamazon.) Here is an approximation of how many to bring along with the fixings:
● 60 bagels
● 12 pounds lox (this goes fast)
● 4 pounds cream cheese
● 1 small container non dairy cream cheese
● 5 pounds tuna salad
● 5 pounds egg salad
How do I get everything to Altshul?
Many people bring their supplies with them on the day of their kiddush. You might need a cart or a few friends to help you. Supplies can be left in the coatroom until needed.
Supplies can also be brought to CBE in advance. There are “Altshul designated” refrigerators to the right of the stage in the ballroom, on the second floor. Non-refrigerables may also be stored here. All supplies should be stored in bags or boxes clearly labeled as being for Altshul.
If you would like to have a delivery of food sent directly to CBE (274 Garfield Place, Brooklyn NY 11215), you can do that. If you choose this option, it is best if you can be at CBE to accept and store the food yourself.
How many people do I need to help me set up?
Working together, 2-3 people can set up kiddush in 30 minutes. Usually people leave the service to set up kiddush once Mussaf has begun. Please designate a friend or two ahead of time to help you set up, or feel free to tap someone in shul to help. There are a bunch of Altshul kids who love helping out (and taste test!), so feel free to enlist their help too! They particularly like to put things on plates, and hand out grape juice to people when they come into the kiddush room.
Which room is kiddush in this week?
Our normal kiddush location is the Social Hall (on the ground floor), but occasionally we need to do kiddush in a different location. If you are unsure of where to set up for Altshul kiddush, please ask the CBE staff member at the security desk.
Tables & Tablecloths
CBE’s maintenance staff should have set up two long tables with tablecloths in the kiddush room in advance. If they are not set up, please ask a member of CBE staff who should be able to help you.
Cups, Plates, and Cutlery
Altshul has a stock of paper and plastic goods. These are stored in the gray cabinet in a mechanical room on the first floor, which is accessible through the coatroom across from the restrooms. There should be sufficient supplies in there, but feel free to confirm with the Kiddush Coordinator that everything you need is in stock.
We also have some serving plates, trays, and bowls there. If you use these, please wash, rinse and dry them at the end of kiddush and return them to the cabinet.
Lay it all out
This is all your vision – just make it awesome! A few tips to help you out:
Do:
● Lay out about 50-60 cups of grape juice (¼ full is fine). This can take time, so consider delegating this task and asking someone to hand them out using a tray.
● Set up the tables so people can go down both sides, which moves everyone along faster.
● Provide small plates for people to fill. People tend to fill their plates, and large ones take more time to fill and leave less food behind for others.
● Open all bags and packages. Slice larger items into individual-sized portions.
● Put plates, cutlery, and napkins out at the start of the table.
● If you have brought drinks, make sure there are cups nearby.
● If you have multiples (e.g. 10 bags of cookies), you might want to put out half of them before kiddush begins and then replenish when needed. You can store the “backups” underneath the kiddush table.
Don’t:
● Put the boxes of cutlery out. If messy food falls into them, they will all need to be trashed.
● Put too much cutlery out in one place. Same reason.
● Put out plates or cutlery that aren’t needed. (Knives are not usually needed.)
Beginning kiddush
Bring a siddur with you if you’d like it so that you can make kiddush. If you don’t want to make kiddush, please ask someone to do it for you. Kiddush is on page 734 in the Sim Shalom and page 364 in the Artscroll.
As people come in the room, hand out the grape juice. Encourage other people to join you and do the same.
Once most people are in the room with grape juice, start singing V’Shamru and everyone will join in. (If it’s particularly loud, some shushing or a single bang on the table helps get things started.) Then recite kiddush.
If you would like to make an announcement about the occasion for your kiddush, please do so either before you’ve begun V’Shamru or after you’ve finished reciting kiddush and sipped the grape juice. Do not interrupt the kiddush with an announcement.
A nice thing to do is to make a plate of food and bring it to whoever’s working at the security desk next to the chapel.
After kiddush
As our kiddush sponsor, you and your friends/designated helpers are responsible for cleaning up kiddush and making sure everything is returned. Once you think kiddush is nearing its end (usually about 45 minutes), find some Altshulers to help you clean up.
All used plates and cutlery should be thrown away. Uneaten food and drink can be thrown away or taken home. Please put any clean plates and cutlery back in the closet. If you used any servingware, please wash and rinse it in the bathroom sink, dry it, and return it to the cabinet. Please keep the shelves clean and reasonably organized. We try to do our part to keep it orderly for the next sponsor!
You can leave the tablecloths on the tables.
That’s it! Thanks again for sponsoring kiddush. We really couldn’t have done it without you!