Brunches, Munches, and Lunches: A Bounty of Food and Culture
By: Deborah Hoffman-Wade
Tags: Kosher, Kosher Food, Judaism, Jewish

Brunches, Munches, and Lunches: A Bounty of Food and Culture

Deborah Hoffman Wade

“There can be no joy without food and drink.” Talmud, Mo’Ed Katar

TBA has a history that is deep with traditions that live on in many ways, one of those traditions is that we feed each other. The kitchen carries on the WTBA tradition of making Kiddush lunches that has been part of us for decades. Through many kitchen renovations, rabanim, chefs, volunteers, and differences of thought/action the kitchen endures. The walls vibrate with the unique personalities that have added their recipes, opinions, hard work, laughter, frustration, and pure “service of the heart” to the kitchen and social hall. We are blessed with those who performed and continue to perform this bounty this “special, special Mitzvah” as Misia Nudler calls volunteering in the kitchen.

There are basically three kinds of Kiddush luncheons. The first is B’nai Mitzvah. Usually family employ professional certified kosher caterers. The professional caterers are paid for planning menus with family, procuring all the kosher food, cooking the food, and providing the service. The second is a sponsored kiddush, where congregation members or others pay for the food, request specific menus, and it is usually cooked by volunteer certified kosher caterers. The third are synagogue sponsored kiddush lunches that are TBA sponsored and cooked by volunteers. This does not count the brunches, holidays, special occasions, funeral meals, challah baking, latke making that volunteer worker bees provide.

I volunteer periodically for several reasons: 1. The pure joy of feeding a large family of every age group, bell curve of mood, and Jewish experience. 2. I may not be able to stand long, but sitting and chopping is a form of meditation, a working prayer. 3. The immediate visceral experience of belonging to a vibrant campus full of personality. Is it always fun? No. I am not fond of heat and ovens in the summer kitchen, but every second of hard work is worth it when the laugher and clanking of forks on plates floats through the room. It is worth the effort and sometimes discomfort to feed your family. 4. Because it needs to be done, it is an important for me to personally experience the work it takes to feed one another, and I take/have the time. 5. Because I laugh a lot and it makes me happy.

Bounty of Volunteer Chefs and Schleppers

“If you have a fine meal, enjoy it in a good light.” Talmud Yoma 74b

Maintaining a large well-used kosher kitchen takes a daunting knowledge of appliances, kashrut, and improvising. It means keeping the kitchen in compliance with State and City codes, and kashrut. We are thankful for being served by several mashgiach that keep our kitchen kosher. The chefs are very aware of keeping our kitchen kosher, and safe. So being gently or sometimes vigorously encouraged to not enter a working kitchen is not whimsy or malice but often related to keeping codes and kashrut. I stand in the doorway, I asked Treya, “May I empty this and if so what sink?” I was respecting her authority as the kosher chef of that moment. All our current volunteer and catering staff are certified by our Rabbi to be able to plan, shop, cook and serve meals.

Keeping equipment working and up to date is, like any large kitchen, an on-going project. It takes both the professional paid staff at TBA and the large volunteer staff to keep a kosher kitchen. Stoves, refrigerators, freezers, industrial dishwasher, mixers, knives, and dishes need to be repaired or replaced. Not to mention lots and lots of dishes. Remember, most minyan breakfasts, infrequent Shabbat dinners on Friday night, and Saturday Kiddush lunches are prepared by volunteers. Our professional caterers prepare a lot of Friday Shabbat Dinners, Kiddush Luncheon, Kosher Party food for at B’nai Mitzvah!

To make a regular kiddush lunch it takes one to two people one to four days depending on sponsor requests, and servings. We serve anywhere from 20–150 servings on a “regular” Shabbat. It can take a day or two for recipe planning, shopping for kosher products, and schlepping it to the Synagogue. Not to mention, those that donate and deliver. For those with deep experience, which we are so fortunate to have at TBA, it may take a shorter period of time! The ability to estimate how many people will be in attendance for any event is alone an amazing skill.

The actual shopping for kosher food and staples, takes time and effort. Farmers markets, kosher groceries, special orders, and bringing it to the kitchen takes an infinitive effort by both professionals and volunteers. Along with an eye for hechsher, I watch them keep all of us in mind: Who eats only vegan? Who has a gluten intolerance? Who is lactose intolerant? Who is allergic to peppers? Go easy on the salt, blood pressure. Oy. Mind bogglingly impressive, since I can hardly remember my address. Every mouthful of deliciousness is a constant reminder of how blessed we are to have an amazing kosher kitchen, really, I have seen a lot and we are so blessed, excellent kosher food locally grown, and a variety of traditions, chefs, and specialties.

Bounty of Culture

“Voices, sights, and savours refresh Man’s mind.” Talmud, Berakhot

Kiddush lunch is an ocean of stories, lives, and family. Each person’s journey is followed with kindness, some jovial teasing, at least as many opinions as people at the table, and more than a wee bit of wisdom. Like all families the tales are sometime tall, but the entertainment is never ending. As a person who did not grow up in a Jewish home, this has been the deepest, purest, most joyful introduction to every aspect of Jewish life, past to present. The nurturing of a family is an on-going lifelong journey. My role models for living a deeply religious Jewish life are all in the room from new borns to those older than me. Every week.

It is a time for conversation of every ilk while children play and the bench is full of the usual people. There is a deep presence of Thou in the weekly holiday greetings and dialogue. I am surrounded by absolutely brilliant, talented, funny, and amazing human beings. The knowledge in the room, alone, could fill a stadium. Add all the experiences of each person and their personal journey and we could fill a city. We are a living culture. Am Israel is in every face, argument, piece of gossip, caring hug, teasing spirit, joyous Mazel Tov, tearful empathy, and delighted smiles.

Life passes by week by week. Each Shabbat grounds me through an ever progression of life changing events: a new baby naming, b’nai mitzvah, yahrzeit, conversions, birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, and every occasion marking our life cycle. Every week, Baruch HaShem, I am deep in family rejoicing in family. Learning from each other, listening to each other, consoling each other my cultural experience of being a Jewish woman deepens as we share a meal. Simple, yet profound, I eat to fill my belly and I am deeply nourished in the company of each other.

Next time you come to shul and are blessed with the opportunity to enjoy the sweetness of minyan and breakfast or the blessings of Saturday Shabbat Services and Kiddush luncheon, think of our bounty. Thank everyone! Consider a donation to the Burton Polse Kiddush Fund or the TBA Minyan Fund in honor of all of those who make up the team behind the Challah bread appearing: the TBA staff, those who have volunteered to feed us in the past, those who donate to kitchen and food, those who continue to provide for us, and for those who will volunteer in the future to bring this bounty to our family. Baruch HaShem.