Kiddush club

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Kiddush Club" is a slang term applied wherever an informal group of people leave a synagogue's sanctuary during Jewish services on Shabbat (Saturday) morning to congregate, make kiddush (frequently over liquor) and socialize. Participants often leave services during the Haftorah reading or the sermon.

The practice was criticized by the Orthodox Union (OU) in December 2004, when the OU called for the elimination of such practices. OU Executive Vice President Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb criticized "Kiddush Clubs" for detracting from the honor of the synagogue, promoting gossip (lashon hara), and leading participants to return to services in a state of intoxication (all of which are violations of Jewish Law), further contributing to a shameful decorum and to the problem of substance abuse.