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Community Kiddush

Sponsor or Coordinate a Kiddush

We are excited to offer several ways for our members to get involved in making our kiddushim possible. Whether you want to sponsor, volunteer, or coordinate, there are a variety of ways to contribute to the success of our community’s Shabbat and holiday celebrations. Please scroll down to learn more, and then complete a Kiddush Sponsorship Form . You may also view the Kiddush Calendar. The Kiddush Calendar shows upcoming dates for both volunteer-led and catered kiddushes, helping you plan your sponsorship.

 

How Volunteer Kiddushes Work

Kiddush is not just about food; it’s an opportunity to come together and celebrate Shabbat as a community. We encourage members to volunteer in preparing and serving kiddush meals, fostering a greater sense of connection and communal involvement.

 

Volunteer Kiddushes 

Volunteer Kiddushes are scheduled well in advance, typically several weeks or months ahead. A team captain gathers volunteers, sets the menu, and works with a $400 budget for food costs. While these kiddushes are more affordable for sponsors, they do not allow for special menu requests.

We welcome Beth Jacob members to sponsor these volunteer-led kiddushes. Sponsoring a volunteer kiddush is a great way to contribute to our community and help make Shabbat and holiday celebrations even more meaningful.

 

Crowd-Sourced Kiddushes

Throughout the year, we also hold crowd-sourced kiddushes to honor different groups of volunteers at our shul. These kiddushes give members the opportunity to contribute toward the cost of the meal, by pooling smaller donations.

Crowd-sourced kiddushes are scheduled to coincide with either volunteer-led or catered kiddushes, and the goal is to provide a more affordable way for members to contribute to the kiddush while helping manage the budget. 

Email Rav Shua at ravshua@bethjacoboakland.org  to help be placed with a team or start a new one!

 

Epic Bites-Catered Kiddushes

We are proud to continue our partnership with Epic Bites, our in-house kosher caterer. Through this arrangement, Epic Bites will sponsor two kiddushes per month, which will be noted as "Epic Bites-Sponsored Kiddushes" in community updates.

If you would like to sponsor a kiddush on a weekend already scheduled as an Epic Bites kiddush, you have two options:

  1. Reschedule: With 14 days' notice, we can shift the Epic Bites kiddush to another weekend and free up the date for your sponsorship.
  2. Co-Sponsor: With 7 days' notice, you can co-sponsor the planned Epic Bites kiddush, which will be noted as a co-sponsored event.

Epic Bites is an integral part of our community’s kiddush program, providing excellent kosher food for Shabbat and other events. We encourage members to work with Heshy to sponsor additional weekends or upgrade an existing kiddush.

 

Sponsor Your Own Kiddush

If you are interested in sponsoring your own kiddush meal, you can either work with Epic Bites, or an approved outside caterer. For an Epic Bites kiddush, please check out the new menu and prices at Epic Bites Kiddush Menu, and then coordinate directly with Epic Bites/Heshy. If you prefer to work with another caterer, please reach out to Brian Fox at execdir@bethjacoboakland.org, as outside caterers must be approved.

 

How to Get Involved

We are always looking for volunteers to help make our kiddushes happen. There are many roles to fill, including team leaders, participants, clean-up, set-up, shopping, and coordination. We especially need volunteers who can participate consistently or help with organizing.

If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact Leslie Wilkof at mdmom@sbcglobal.net to learn more about how you can get involved.

We look forward to your participation in making our community’s kiddushim a success!

Tue, February 18 2025 20 Shevat 5785