Kiddush returns to shuls as restrictions ease
United Synagogue has confirmed that outdoor Kiddush can take place as rules change from Monday, 17 May.
Kiddush is returning to United Synagogue shuls following Boris Johnson’s lockdown easing announcement yesterday.
From May 17, shuls will begin to hold communal meals outdoors, and more weddings are set to be on the cards too after the limit was extended to 30 guests.
The easing of lockdown will also mean that groups of up to six people can meet indoors for hospitality from next week.
“This means that the United Synagogue can proceed as planned with our roadmap, permitting kiddush and other communal meals to restart initially outdoors,” said Jo Grose, Communities Director at United Synagogue.
“We’re delighted that weddings can now have 30 guests and look forward to bringing back more programming and services for children and young families as well as social activities and support groups for senior members.”
While Rabbinic families may be able to host up to six people indoors, the United Synagogue’s guidance is that hospitality should take place outdoors where possible.
Guidance has been sent to shuls which recommends ways of serving Kiddush outside. If sitting at tables, the kiddush should be prepared beforehand with no shared items on the table. Tables should have no more than six people.
Small communities could provide Kiddush as people leave, if they are in an area with no eruv, the guidance also suggests, while some may wish to provide takeaway Kiddush on Shabbat if there is an eruv.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
