Aufruf
Aufruf Staffing in Lakewood NJ
Learn more
The aufruf is the Shabbos night before the wedding, when the groom is called to the Torah and the families gather after davening. It is a Shabbos meal with a schedule attached, and the kitchen and the service have to run on Shabbos time, not on restaurant time.
About this event
An aufruf dinner is served after Shabbos, so the guests arrive straight from shul, tired and ready to eat. The food has been cooking slowly all day, the room needs to be ready before people walk in, and the service has to be fast enough that nobody is waiting for a plate.
Families hosting an aufruch — often in a home or a rented hall — tell us that the hardest part is the gap between the last of the Shabbos cooking and the moment the guests arrive. That is exactly the window we cover.
Our staffing for this event
Our aufruf crews are Shomer Shabbos. They set up before Shabbos, and they do not begin work that would desecrate Shabbos. The service itself happens after Shabbos is over, when the meal is served and the simcha continues.
If the aufruch takes place in a hall the family has rented, we can also cover the setup and the breakdown of the service area, so the room goes from empty to ready and back again without adding tasks to the family's list.
- Waiters briefed on a Shabbos-style service pace
- Kitchen help for prep before Shabbos and service after Shabbos
- Bartenders for the after-Shabbos portion of the evening
- Setup and breakdown coverage for a rented hall
Pricing notes
Aufruf staffing is quoted per event. The quote reflects the crew size, the setup time before Shabbos and the hours of service after Shabbos, because those two pieces of work are separated by a Shabbos and need different coverage.
Where the venue requires kashrut supervision on the day, the mashgiach is quoted as a separate line item.
Sample menus and roles
Aufruch menus are typically family-style and served family-style: a slow-cooked main dish, sides, and a dessert, with drinks through the evening. Our kitchen help knows in advance which dishes are cooked ahead and which are finished after Shabbos, so the timing works.
The crew also handles the service flow during the meal and the clearing afterwards, which is when most of the family's attention is on the guests rather than on the hall.
Staff roles for this event
FAQ
How does staffing work for an aufruf dinner?
The crew splits the work around Shabbos: setup and any prep happen before Shabbos begins, and the meal service happens after Shabbos is over. That means the crew is Shomer Shabbos and does not perform any work that would constitute chillul Shabbos during the day.
Do you staff the aufruch as well as the wedding?
They are separate events with separate crews and separate quotes. Many families book the aufruch with us and then book their wedding separately, sometimes with a different crew size, and sometimes with the same crew so the family knows the faces.
Can your staff help cook before the aufruch?
Yes. Kitchen help can come earlier in the day to prep and to cook the dishes that are prepared ahead for a Shabbos meal, provided that all of that work is finished before Shabbos begins. We plan the schedule backwards from the meal service with you.
How far in advance should we book an aufruch?
Aufruch dates tend to follow the wedding date, so they book earlier than most events. We suggest eight weeks for a wedding-season aufruch and four to six weeks outside of peak dates. A mashgiach or a larger crew needs more lead time, so tell us early.
Ready to book?
Send us the date, the venue, the guest count and the hours. We will come back with the crew that fits this event and a quote itemised by role and by hour.