Kiddush Luncheon Host Guidelines
(updated January, 2006)

Thank you for volunteering to sponsor a Kiddush luncheon at the Rutland Jewish Center. Volunteers from our membership are what make the RJC run smoothly, both in the spotlight and behind the scenes. If you haven’t hosted a Kiddush before (or not in a while), the Mazon Committee has developed some guidelines and procedures to help ease your task:

Rutland Jewish Center Kiddush Guidelines and Procedures

Plan on food for 15–20 people. However, you will need more if a special service or other event is planned. The Kiddush Chairperson will let you know if this is the case. Unless otherwise instructed, Food must be dairy or pareve (neither meat nor dairy).

As a Kiddush sponsor, you will be responsible for:

1. Calling the Kiddush Chairperson to arrange for entry to the synagogue for set up (if setting up during non-office hours), and to let her/him know if you are planning for a special occasion, or to find out whether one is planned.

2. Bringing food and beverages (other than coffee and tea) to synagogue either on Friday or before services on Saturday. If you bring food on Friday, please mark it with “For Saturday’s Kiddush” so it will not be used for the Oneg.

Note: You will also need to fill the coffee filter and turn on the coffeemaker and hot water. The RJC provides coffee and tea, but no other beverages (soda, juice, etc. as you prefer). Instructions for using the RJC’s coffeemaker are in the kitchen, attached to the refrigerator.

3. Making or buying three (3) platters of food. You may wish to consider any of the following: 1 platter of sweets; salads; bagels and cream cheese; gefilte fish; boiled eggs; challah; crackers and cheese; veggie platter. Use your imagination, but the food must be dairy or parve. You may also use any food left over from the previous night’s Oneg Shabbat that is left in the kitchen.

4. Setting the food out on platters, which the RJC has in abundance in our kitchen. We also have doilies, and plenty of plastic wrap and foil if you wish to set non-refrigerated food out early in the day.

5. Setting out wine and grape juice for the blessings before Kiddush. Wine and grape juice are usually in the kitchen after Friday’s service. Small cups are in the cabinet behind the kitchen door. Additional wine and grape juice are located in the storage pantry. The pantry’s entry door is located between the Lash Lounge and the stairs to the main sanctuary.

6. Clearing the table and wrapping leftovers.

7. Putting all dirty dishes in the sink. However, clean dishes and the punch bowl/lid should be left on the table for the RJC custodian.

8. Throwing away all trash in the receptacles provided.

IMPORTANT:
The RJC custodian is responsible for setting up the tables in the Lash Lounge for Kiddush Luncheons.
If you are planning on a larger Kiddush than will comfortably fit in the Lash Lounge (such as for a special occasion), you must let the House Chairperson know in the week preceding your event,
so that the custodian may be informed through the proper channels.