Mazal tov! What follows are important details to families celebrating life cycle events at Maimonides. It contains information about who you may be talking to as you plan the process and what tasks they can help you with.
Coordinating the event
Rabbi Jaffe, the Gabbaim, and other kehilah volunteers help assist you with coordinating the life cycle event: addressing Halachic issues, scheduling the event, and taking care of coordinating the Tefilot at your event, if any.
They gladly provide this service free of charge to kehilah members, although non-members of the kehilah are asked to pay a $300 fee to the kehilah fund to defray some of the time-costs involved in coordinating the event.
They gladly provide this service free of charge to kehilah members, although non-members of the kehilah are asked to pay a $300 fee to the kehilah fund to defray some of the time-costs involved in coordinating the event.
Space rental
It is not necessary to rent space for a life cycle event, if no additional spaces, times, or setup is needed beyond the regular kehilah space-usage. For example, if someone sponsors Kiddush to mark the birth of a grandson, or hosts an Ufuruf in shul while making a celebratory Kiddush elsewhere, then the Kehilah’s normal arrangement with Maimonides school takes care of all space usage responsibilities. If additional space is used unexpectedly, you may be billed for the space usage after the fact.
However, you must speak to Merv Alge (617-232-4452 x427) if you need:
In these cases, a nominal hourly fee is charged in to cover the overtime paid to the custodial staff in these situations for setup, cleanup, and opening the building – and to defray some of the building costs for those times.
However, you must speak to Merv Alge (617-232-4452 x427) if you need:
- additional spaces (eg, classrooms for setup, the larger Brener Space)
- or additional setups/cleanups (special table or chair arrangements)
- or additional times (opening kitchen earlier or later, longer use of Saval)
In these cases, a nominal hourly fee is charged in to cover the overtime paid to the custodial staff in these situations for setup, cleanup, and opening the building – and to defray some of the building costs for those times.
Food
There is no need to have food at a life-cycle event, although you may chose to serve food.
The costs for food are normally negotiated directly between you and your caterer.
However, hosting a full-fledged catered event will almost definitely involve additional set-up and space-usage needs and thus Merv Alge should be reached if you wish to have such an event. Even if the caterer only provides “drop off” service it often happens that additional space-usage costs are incurred.
- You may choose to have a “drop-off” where a caterer drops food off at Maimonides, and (1) the food is served by kehilah volunteers (if served to the kehilah) or (2) the food is served by the hosts (if the food is only for your family and guests outside the kehilah).
- Or you may choose to have a full-fledged catered event in which food is cooked, delivered, reheated, and then plated and served by an outside caterer.
- No home-cooked foods may be served at Maimonides in any situation.
The costs for food are normally negotiated directly between you and your caterer.
However, hosting a full-fledged catered event will almost definitely involve additional set-up and space-usage needs and thus Merv Alge should be reached if you wish to have such an event. Even if the caterer only provides “drop off” service it often happens that additional space-usage costs are incurred.
Kashrut
Food that is served at Maimonides as part of a function must come from a caterer certified by the KVH, or by another non-local national Hashgacha.
This is not because we have any knowledge about the validity of other hechsheirim (in fact, we only have limited knowledge about other hechsheirim); but because the Rav TZ”L felt strongly that it is our responsibility to unify ourselves around larger community-organizations instead of smaller splinter groups. In the words of the Orthodox Union:
“It is in the synagogues best interest to insist on accepting only products from the major Hashgachos: OK, Star-K, Kof-K, KAJ, OU and the Local Vaad.”
In any event, Rabbi Jaffe must be notified when the drop off will occur to be able to approve all foods as they come in. Failure to arrive at the specified drop-off time incurs a mandatory $100 fee to the Maimonides School Chesed Fund and could potentially lead to the canceling of your event.
For events which involve drop-off service only, no onsite Mashgiach is necessary.
Events which are catered on-cite may require an on-site mashgiach from the time in which the food preparation on the day of the event begins even if they are dairy events – if any of the following apply:
In these cases, a Mashgiach must be hired through the KVH. This Mashgiach must call Rabbi Jaffe prior to the drop off to discuss the kitchen procedures at Maimonides, though. Failure to do so incurs a mandatory $100 fee to the Maimonides School Chesed Fund and could potentially lead to the canceling of your event
If these three conditions do not apply, the kehilah and Rabbi Jaffe take responsibility for the Kashrut requirements at the event.
This is not because we have any knowledge about the validity of other hechsheirim (in fact, we only have limited knowledge about other hechsheirim); but because the Rav TZ”L felt strongly that it is our responsibility to unify ourselves around larger community-organizations instead of smaller splinter groups. In the words of the Orthodox Union:
“It is in the synagogues best interest to insist on accepting only products from the major Hashgachos: OK, Star-K, Kof-K, KAJ, OU and the Local Vaad.”
In any event, Rabbi Jaffe must be notified when the drop off will occur to be able to approve all foods as they come in. Failure to arrive at the specified drop-off time incurs a mandatory $100 fee to the Maimonides School Chesed Fund and could potentially lead to the canceling of your event.
For events which involve drop-off service only, no onsite Mashgiach is necessary.
Events which are catered on-cite may require an on-site mashgiach from the time in which the food preparation on the day of the event begins even if they are dairy events – if any of the following apply:
- Food preparation/setup begins before the Maimonides Minyan begins services
- Food preparation/setup is done, even in part, by non Shomer-Shabbat workers
- Food preparation/setup takes place in a location other than the Saval Auditorum
In these cases, a Mashgiach must be hired through the KVH. This Mashgiach must call Rabbi Jaffe prior to the drop off to discuss the kitchen procedures at Maimonides, though. Failure to do so incurs a mandatory $100 fee to the Maimonides School Chesed Fund and could potentially lead to the canceling of your event
If these three conditions do not apply, the kehilah and Rabbi Jaffe take responsibility for the Kashrut requirements at the event.
Shabbat
See the following letter regarding Shabbat and the Maimonides school kitchen.