SEBIR / Groups and foundations
Bringing a Jewish group to Poland? One partner on the ground for kosher food, Shabbat and logistics.
Foundations, schools, communities and youth organizations run their program - we make sure the stay works: the venue, the kitchen, Shabbat, transport and coordination from arrival to departure.
First reply usually within 24 hours. No obligation.
Who organizes
Who we work with
Jewish foundations, educational organizations, schools, communities and larger private groups. You organize the trip and lead the program - SEBIR supports you on site. We sign the agreement and invoice with your organization, not with individual participants.
Are you a travel agency or organizing a conference or training? Travel agencies, DMCs, conference and training organizers →
Our part
What we take care of
- The venue - we find a place that fits the group: often exclusive, one building, rooms for sessions, a hall for Shabbat, a pool if needed.
- Kosher food - cooking on site or catering, up to mehadrin level. Kashrut in practice →
- Shabbat - meals, prayer room, eruv under rabbinic supervision. Shabbat →
- Transport - reliable carriers: coaches, minibuses, airport transfers, planned around Shabbat and the program.
- Program framework - we prepare the time frame and options; you or your partners fill in the details with us.
- On site - one coordinator, equipment, printing, shopping, whatever comes up.
Camps
Summer camps for children and young people
Camps have their own needs - and we have learned them over four summers:
- An exclusive, fenced venue in one building, with enough rooms for activities and a hall for everyone on Shabbat.
- Plenty of good food, cleaning every day, drinking water everywhere and a plan B for outages.
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner and a late snack after evening activities. We confirm portion counts with you every day, plus packed lunches for trips and vegetarian dishes.
- Children's favorite dishes next to traditional ones. We write the menu in two languages for the venue kitchen, and one of our cooks or coordinators works in that kitchen.
- Shabbat for the whole camp: an early light breakfast, kiddush, festive meals and a third meal prepared before Shabbat.
- Help with luggage on transfers, sound and projection equipment, printers, and quick purchases on the spot.
- For girls' camps: a female lifeguard, modest dress for all staff.
A day out
Packed lunches, early coffee and cooking outdoors
After breakfast everyone packs a lunch for the day - bags, foil and sauce cups are ready. The coffee corner opens at 6:30. With a dairy meal we serve paper cups, with a meat meal only plant milk and glass mugs. And when needed, we cook in a kettle over a fire by the river.
Planning
This is how we plan a stay
We run every stay with the organizer in one shared spreadsheet. Here are some of its sheets.
| Meal | Time | Thu | Fri | Sat | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 7:45 | 42 | 42 | - | incl. 3 vegetarian |
| Packed lunch for the trail | 7:45 | 42 | 42 | - | packed at breakfast |
| Dinner | 19:00 | 42 | - | - | coffee with plant milk |
| Shabbat dinner | 19:00 | - | 42 | - | cooked before Shabbat |
| Kiddush after prayers | 10:30 | - | - | 42 | cake and drinks |
| Shabbat lunch | 12:30 | - | - | 42 | cholent from the plata |
| Seudah shlishit | before havdalah | - | - | 42 | fish and salads |
| Total portions | 126 | 126 | 126 | ||
| No. | Item | Per person | For 42 | Served | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Challah | 1 per 4 | 11 + 2 spare | on the table, with salt | |
| 2 | Wine and grape juice | - | 2 + 2 bottles | on the table | for kiddush |
| 3 | Fish balls | 1 pc | 45 pcs | to the table | separate plates, before meat |
| 4 | Chicken soup with noodles and shkedei marak | 300 ml | 13 l | buffet | |
| 5 | Sesame chicken schnitzel | 180 g | 8 kg | buffet | raw weight |
| 6 | Roasted vegetables, potato wedges | 200 g | 8.5 kg | buffet | |
| 7 | Matbucha, chatzilim, hummus | 3 kinds | 3 x 1.5 kg | buffet | |
| 8 | Chocolate sponge cake | 1 slice | 2 trays | dessert | parve |
| Time | What | Who | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 | Shacharit | group | ground-floor hall |
| 7:45 | Breakfast, packing lunches | kitchen | |
| 9:00 | Shorter route | group guide | back by 14:00 at the latest |
| 13:30 | Back at the venue | coordinator | coach waiting from 13:15 |
| 15:00 | Platas and urns on, eruv checked | kitchen, mashgiach | before Shabbat |
| 17:31 | Candle lighting | group | time for the place of stay |
| 18:00 | Kabbalat Shabbat | group | |
| 19:00 | Shabbat dinner | kitchen | |
| Day | Time | Run | People | Vehicle | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 10:40 | airport - venue (arrivals 10:00-12:00) | 26 | coach 49 | confirmed |
| Mon | 15:20 | airport - venue (arrivals 15:00-17:00) | 14 | minibus 20 | confirmed |
| Mon | 21:05 | arrival outside a window | 2 | taxi | agree with organizer |
| Fri | 13:30 | trail - venue | 42 | coach 49 | before Shabbat |
| Sun | 9:00 | venue - airport | 42 | coach 49 | to confirm |
| Room | Floor | Beds | Who | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | 0 | 2+1 | family | baby cot |
| 102 | 0 | 1+1 | participants | Shabbat: no elevator |
| 108 | 0 | 1 | mashgiach | next to the kitchen |
| 112 | 0 | 2 | participants | key instead of card |
| 201 | 1 | 1+1+1 | madrichim | |
| Product | Qty | Source | Kashrut | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glatt beef (cholent) | 5 kg | kosher supplier | hechsher | delivered |
| Glatt chicken | 14 kg | kosher supplier | hechsher | delivered |
| Challot | 26 pcs | kosher bakery | hechsher | ordered |
| Mayonnaise | 2 l | shop | list, p. 61 | bought |
| Rapeseed oil | 10 l | shop | mark on the pack | bought |
| Grape juice | 4 l | kosher wholesaler | hechsher | on the way |
| Item | Format | Qty | Languages | Needed by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day plan for room doors | A4 | 20 | HE / EN | Thursday |
| Shabbat menu card | A5 | 12 | HE / EN | Thursday |
| Signs: dairy / meat / parve | A6, laminated | 30 | HE / PL | before arrival |
| Name badges | 85 x 55 mm | 42 | EN | before arrival |
Portions for every meal. Colors: blue - dairy, pink - meat, green - parve.
We count quantities per person and round up to whole pieces and packs.
We plan Friday backwards from candle lighting: back from the trail, platas, eruv.
We group arrivals into time windows. Arrivals outside a window are agreed with the organizer.
Rooming list for the hotel - no personal data, with what matters on Shabbat.
Every product checked: a hechsher or an entry on the kosher list.
Texts for guests in Hebrew and English, kitchen signs also in Polish.
Sample data. The layout is the one we use with organizers.
How we prepare
Before you arrive, we agree more than 50 details with you
A sample of what we settle with every organizer before anyone arrives. SEBIR - provided by our team; agreed - we decide it together with you.
1. Group and general requirements
- Number of participants: men / women / children agreed
- Kashrut level (e.g. Glatt, Mehadrin) and extra requirements (Chalav Yisrael, Pas Yisrael) agreed
- Group's country and language agreed
- Decision-maker on the client's side and contact details agreed
- ... more questions tailored to the group
2. Venue, rooms and security
- Shabbat lift and stair access on Shabbat agreed
- Floor and room layout for the group
- Dining hall and session rooms (number, capacity)
- Security for the group
- ... more questions tailored to the venue
3. Kitchen and kashrut
- Koshering the kitchen and the mashgiach (scope, number, dates) SEBIR
- Meat / dairy separation - possible at the venue? agreed
- Tableware: porcelain for meat; a separate set for dairy, or disposable SEBIR
- Without a separate dairy kitchen: fully parve or disposable
- Products from Israel: spices, add-ins (e.g. shkedei marak), flours (incl. gluten-free) SEBIR
- Menu: weekly cycle, Shabbat, holidays; number of meals per day agreed
- Allergies and special diets agreed
- ... and much more - kashrut is dozens of details
4. Shabbat, prayer, temporary synagogue
- Temporary synagogue: hall / separate room / outdoor tent SEBIR
- Capacity: men / women (sets the number of chairs) agreed
- Torah ark (aron kodesh), lighting, whether the room is also used for activities agreed
- Mechitza - partition between men and women SEBIR
- Platas and Shabbat mats, urns, thermoses SEBIR
- Kiddush (cups, wine or grape juice) and Havdalah (candle, besamim, wine or grape juice) SEBIR
- Candles, challah covers, torn paper, washing cup SEBIR
- Eruv and light timers; minyan - we help with contacts in the local community, without a guarantee agreed
- ... and much more - every Shabbat detail matters
5. Water and drinks
- Drinking water: small bottles / dispensers / coolers - quantity and placement agreed
- Water at the venue: we check whether, once filtered, it is fit to drink - then fewer bottles are needed SEBIR
- ... more arrangements depending on the group
6. AV and session equipment
- Sound system, microphones, projectors, flipcharts SEBIR
- LED screen - needed? agreed
- Presentations: your own materials - we help show them on an LED screen, projector or TV agreed
- On-site technician, internet (we can boost the signal on request)
- ... more questions depending on the program
7. Signage and welcome zone
- Banners: number, sizes, locations and mounting agreed
- Directional signs: A4 or A3, portrait / landscape, content agreed
- Welcome zone: size, tables and chairs, printer, pens, special equipment agreed
- Name badges, programs, bentchers (birkonim) SEBIR
- ... more branding details to agree
8. Gala or festive dinner
- How many galas during the stay and what you expect agreed
- Room set-up: tables, decorations, stage
- Entertainment: host, DJ, music, bands, performances agreed
- Visuals (LED screens), script and schedule of the evening SEBIR
- ... more - we design the gala around the group
9. Trips and attractions
- How many full-day and half-day trips agreed
- Destinations and themes (Krakow, Kazimierz, graves of tzaddikim, memorial sites ...) agreed
- Guide (language), transport and admission tickets - who books what agreed
- Evening program, klezmer and artists
- Packing table for trip lunches: bags, containers, small sauce cups SEBIR
- ... rafting, theme parks, field games and more - we can show and arrange it all
10. Shopping and printing on request
- Stationery, prizes, souvenirs, promotional items, special orders SEBIR
- Printing: banners, flyers, stickers - various sizes, special paper SEBIR
- Items with your logo: water bottles, lunch boxes, T-shirts, caps, bandanas in group colors - your artwork, ordered 4-6 weeks before arrival agreed
- Designs: you provide finished files or our specialists prepare them (in advance) agreed
- ... more - we handle custom orders
11. Logistics and transport
- Airport - venue transfers with reliable carriers (times, number of people) SEBIR
- Coaches for trips, planned around Shabbat and the program SEBIR
- Day-by-day schedule (run of show) SEBIR
- SEBIR coordinator on site and an emergency contact SEBIR
- ... more - we plan logistics to the hour
12. Deadlines and confirmations
- Final confirmations: 4-6 weeks ahead (holiday periods: 3-6 months)
- Final shopping and order list
- Briefing on site on arrival day, summary after the stay
- ... more - we keep track of every deadline
Why SEBIR
Why groups come back
From a letter of recommendation after seminars and a conference in Poland:
“We especially want to mention the well-thought-out kosher catering, cooked on site, which was an essential condition for our group. It also mattered to us that we could speak Russian with the SEBIR team at every stage. Every agreement was kept, and the programs ran without a hitch from start to finish.”
From a letter of recommendation after four years of cooperation:
“Our cooperation with SEBIR has now continued for four years. Throughout this time the team has shown stability, reliability and a high level of responsibility. (...) Of particular importance to us is the observance of the requirements of Jewish tradition: full kosher catering prepared on site, strict observance of kashrut, and the organization of Shabbat.”
Details
Questions from group organizers
Is there a minimum group size?
No fixed minimum - a group starts at about 8-12 people. Jewish groups we serve are usually 20-30 people at the start and 80-120 later on.
How far in advance should we plan?
It depends above all on venue availability. Summer camps and holiday periods - as early as possible; some exclusive venues are booked 2-3 years ahead. Sometimes a venue has an open window and everything can be prepared within 1-2 months. Organizer's guide →
We speak mostly Russian or Hebrew - is that a problem?
No. We work in Russian, English and Polish; a Hebrew or Ukrainian speaker on site on request.
Do you also organize the program?
We prepare the framework and options; the details are yours or your partners', agreed with us.
What if something goes wrong while we are far away?
We are physically with the group for the whole stay, with one point of contact who reacts at once.
How transparent are the costs?
You get one document with the schedule and the quote. We say plainly what is included and what it costs.
Do you help with insurance for participants?
We do not sell insurance - the organizer buys it separately from an insurance agency. We are happy to recommend a reliable agency.
Practical guides
When to book kosher catering for a summer camp or seminar - a timeline from 12 months to one week
What to settle 12, 6 and 3 months and 2 weeks before a kosher camp or seminar in Europe: venue and kitchen, menu, mashgiach, Shabbat, orders.
A venue for a kosher camp in Central Europe - what to check before you book
A checklist for choosing a venue for a kosher youth camp, family camp or seminar: kitchen, halls, grounds, rooms, Shabbat in the building, access.
Koshering a kitchen for a camp - step by step, and how long it takes
Our plan for koshering a venue kitchen for a camp or longer stay: the pre-contract check, what we kosher and what we bring, the koshering day…
Groups and camps
Tell us about your group
Dates, number of participants and kashrut level are enough to start. We reply usually within 24 hours with the next steps.
Describe your groupWe correspond in English, Polish and Russian.