Or Shalom

Kiddush Guidelines

Overview & General Info

Shabbat and Kashrut

Potlucks / Hosted Kiddushim / Kids' snacks

Supplies, Facilities and cleanup

Overview

What is a kiddush?

• The root of kiddush means "holy" and when we welcome Shabbat with wine, we are sanctifying the holy day.
• Kiddush has also come to mean a munch, lunch, or reception that follows Shabbat services.

When is the kiddush?

• The kiddush starts after Shabbat services, about 12:30.

What is a hosted kiddush?

• Anyone who wants to celebrate a simcha with the Or Shalom community can offer to provide a kiddush.

How many people can be expected?

• Hosted b'nai mitzvah or other simchas - expect invited guests plus 30-40 regular congregants.
• Hosted community kiddush - expect 40-60 participants.
• Potluck community kiddush - expect 30-40 participants.
• A hosted kiddush should also provide snacks for about 12 children. (More about this below.)

General Information

Reserving or changing a kiddush date

• Contact the Or Shalom Administrator at the Or Shalom office (604.872.1614 or the office email).

Sharing a Kiddush

• Sharing the responsibility for a kiddush can be fun, efficient, and cost effective! Contact the Kiddush Queen for help finding a co-host.

Arranging a kitchen time

• Contact the Or Shalom Administrator if you want to have a site inspection, decorate the social hall, or bring food to the shul prior to Shabbat.

Locking up

• If you are the last person to leave the building, check that all outside doors are closed and locked. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SET THE ALARM. If any door is not locked, call the Administrator at 604.872.7442 or Frank at 604.875.6560.

Blowing a fuse

• If the electricity goes off, there is a good chance a fuse has blown. In this case, you must contact the Administrator or someone else with a key to the office, where the fuse box is located.
• To avoid blowing a fuse, DO NOT PLUG TWO COFFEE URNS INTO OUTLETS IN THE SOCIAL HALL AT THE SAME TIME. One can be plugged into the outlet next to the social hall door, and the other must be plugged into a kitchen outlet, with the cord passed through the pass-through window.

Shabbat Observances at Or Shalom

We strive to control the use of these items on Shabbat:

• Lights - They are usually turned on by our custodian. Please turn off the lights only if you are comfortable doing so. The lights in the washrooms should remain on.
• Telephone - Please do not use the phone except in true emergencies.
• Coffee and hot water urns - They may be used and must be unplugged when empty or when you leave the building.
• Stove - Top elements are not used as a safety precaution.
• Oven - May be turned on low to keep foods warm. When heating foods with strong odors, keep the kitchen door closed.
• Autoclave (dish sterilizer) - Do not use until after birchat hamazon (grace after meals). Dishes must be free of food before going into the autoclave. Our custodian will wash the dishes after a potluck or hosted community kiddush.

Food Observances at Or Shalom

The Or Shalom kitchen is not 100% kosher. Our practice is to serve only dairy vegetarian foods such as fish, eggs, cheese, sour cream, and cream cheese. No shellfish or meat of any kind is allowed. Ingredients for special consideration include:

• Rennet - This is stabilizer that comes from a cow's stomach, and, therefore, is not "dairy." However, the processing breaks it down so much that we do not consider rennet to be a meat and it is an acceptable ingredient.
• Gelatin - This can originate from non-kosher foods (pork) and is, therefore, not allowed unless the product has a hechsher (kosher symbol) or unless the package specifically states vegetarian gelatin.
• Fish - In keeping with the dairy vegetarian standard, fish can be served, but it should include only the allowable kosher fish (i.e., only those with fins and scales).

Or Shalom's Eco-Kosher Tradition

Eco-Kosher means an ecological perspective to Judaism that minimizes the environmental impact of our religious practice. At Or Shalom, we adhere to this tradition by avoiding disposable products (including dishes and cutlery), by minimizing our use of over-packaged products, and by practicing recycling.

Serving Kosher Foods

Some people who keep strictly kosher will not eat food brought into the shul on Shabbat unless it has a hechsher and/or is prepared in a kosher kitchen. A separate table for kosher foods can be set up for guests who keep kosher. Optimally, this table will be set with kosher plates, cutlery, and cups from a kosher kitchen in order to maintain kosher integrity and also adhere to Or Shalom's eco-kosher philosophy.

• Kosher symbols - Various symbols found on packaged food indicate rabbinical approval of the ingredients and processing.
• Kosher Supervision - This is the Vancouver organization that supervises British Columbia Kosher - BCK - designation for food. They can provide up-to-date information of currently approved foods. Call their office at 604.275.0042.
• Adam va-Adamah, the Jewish environmental action group, has prepared a list of Organic and Kosher foods which are available in Vancouver.

Health Concerns

Please be conscious of those folks with food allergies to nuts, gluten and other ingredients. You can do this by

Preparing foods while bearing these common ailments in mind. Use gluten-free grains. Salads are great - don't add nuts. Etc.

Labelling what you serve, so that others may know what is in front of them.

The Potluck Kiddush

A potluck is declared on those occasions when nobody is hosting the kiddush. Everyone brings something to share, following our food observances and the old adage about keeping it simple. (A good rule of thumb is to bring enough food to feed you and your family as if that were the only thing you were eating.) As well, everyone helps set up by putting out food, plates, etc., and by helping to clean up the social hall and kitchen afterwards. Our custodian will wash the dishes, but they must be scraped and stacked. All food must be put away.

Suggested Menus

The kiddush menu can be as simple or as elaborate as the host wishes. Note that two challot are always provided by Or Shalom.

Suggestions for a simple menu:

• Bagels (cut in half) and a shmear
• Herring and crackers
• Pita and humus or baba ganoush
• Fresh fruit
• Cut-up veggies and dip
• Cookies
• Juice

A more extensive menu can include:

• Green salads
• Grain salads
• Pasta salads
• Lockshun kugel
• Schnapps
• Pastries

A catered kiddush can be as elaborate as the host wishes!

Children's Snack

Children are cared for in the social hall during services. It is an Or Shalom policy that a snack is provided for the children by the caterers or kiddush hosts.

• Plan on snacks for 12 children, or more, if additional little guests are attending a b'nai mitzvah.
• Snack suggestions:

o Bagels or crackers

o Cream cheese or butter

o Fruit and/or carrot or celery sticks

o Juice

Food Storage

Food for a kiddush may be kept in the side-by-side fridge/freezer or on the counters. All foods must be in critter-proof containers, clearly labeled, and removed after the kiddush. Please do not leave any food in the fridge or on the counters.

Supplies Provided by Or Shalom

These items may or may not be available on the day of a kiddush. Always check a few days before the kiddush date. Two challot are always provided.

• Regular and instant coffee
• Black and herbal teas
• Sweeteners (sugar and artificial)
• Coffee whitener
• Clear wrap and aluminum foil
• Paper towels and napkins
• Garbage bags

Location, Location, Location

• Kiddush wine and cup - On the open shelves to the left of the microwave.
• Challot - On the sill of the pass-through window. The challah cover is with the wine.
• Tablecloths - In the cupboard underneath the microwave.
• Cutlery and serving utensils - In labeled drawers under the pass-through window. Additional cutlery is in the blue tins on the counter. Please do not overload the drawers. Return the bulk of the cutlery to the tins.
• Plates, cups, glasses - On the open shelves above the stove. NOTE: There are no soup bowls.
• Serving platters and bowls - On the counter and in the lower cupboards to the left of the stove.
• Coffee and hot water urns - Either on a shelf in the hallway on the floor next to the fridge. Smaller urns make 36 cups. A 100-cup coffee urn is also available.
• Brooms, dustpan, mop - In the closet opposite the sink.
• Dish cloths and towels - In the drawer to the right of the stove. NOTE: DO NOT use towels to dry dishes after they have been in the autoclave, due to health standards.
• First aid kit - On top of the fridge. A more complete kit is in the office. Please let the Administrator know if the kit needs replenishment.
• Fire extinguisher - On the wall to the right of the fridge. Additional ones are in the social hall on the wall next to the kitchen and upstairs near the rear door.

Clean Up

General Information for catered and hosted events:

• Crew - Don't try to do it all yourself! Make sure to arrange for help cleaning up. If you bring in a crew, you must stay with them while they are in the building. Contact the Or Shalom Administrator for more information on this policy.
• Dishes & cutlery - All plates, cutlery and serving dishes must be washed, air-dried, and put away.
• Coffee & water urns - Empty and thoroughly rinse out.
• Kitchen counters - Wipe down and leave clean.
• Tables - Clear off dishes and remove tablecloths.
• Floors - Not necessary to sweep or mop unless the floor is exceptionally dirty with spilled food or liquid.
• Recycling - Please put any empty, recyclable containers into the blue box under the sink or take them with you. DO NOT put any container on which a deposit has been paid into the blue box or garbage!
• Tablecloths - Shake out crumbs. Refold clean tablecloths and return them to the cupboard. Put soiled tablecloths in the hamper in the closet.
• Leftover food - Please remove all leftover food.

Autoclave Instructions

These instructions are also posted on the wall near the autoclave.

1. Turn the autoclave on 20 minutes before you want to use it by pressing the far left switch at the bottom of the machine

2. When the temperature gauge reads 140 degrees, it is ready to use.

3. Rinse dishes and cutlery before placing them into the autoclave.

4. Place dishes into the heavy duty dish racks found beneath the sink.

5. Load the rack into the autoclave and toss in one scoop of soap.

6. Close and latch the door (press the latch down).

7. The cycle lasts about 4 minutes.

8. Take the rack out and air dry dishes before replacing them on the shelves right-side up.

9. When all the dishes are washed, turn the switch to "off".

NOTE: DO NOT dry the dishes with dish cloths. Health regulations require they be air-dried.

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