SEBIR / Organizer's Guide
Organizer's Guide
How to organize a kosher trip to Poland - complete guide
A complete guide for organizers of Jewish trips to Poland: planning timeline, kashrut, JOFY hotel, Shabbat, bar mitzvah, seder. Step by step.
Step 1
Determine the group profile and kashrut level
Before booking anything - ask about requirements. This single question determines every subsequent decision: the choice of supplier, mashgiach, hotel, products and budget. An organizer who skips this step will encounter problems at every stage.
Questions for the rabbi or group leader:
- Which kosher certification is accepted? - OU, Mehadrin, Badatz Eidah Hachareidis, or another specific hechsher.
- Is Glatt Kosher required? - for meat and poultry.
- Chalav Yisrael? - must dairy products be under Jewish supervision from milking.
- Pas Yisrael? - must bread and baked goods meet the additional requirement of Jewish participation in baking.
- Ashkenazi or Sephardi tradition? - affects, among other things, customs regarding the waiting time between meat and dairy (1, 3 or 6 hours) and acceptance of specific products.
- Number of male participants aged 13 and over - to establish a minyan.
- Is a mikveh needed? - if so, how many people and on what basis (daily / before Shabbat only).
Step 2
Planning timeline - when to book what
Kosher trips to Poland do not tolerate last-minute planning. The higher the kashrut standard and the more participants, the earlier you need to start. The timeline below is indicative for a trip not coinciding with Jewish holidays.
3-6 months in advance
2-3 months in advance
4-6 weeks in advance
1-2 weeks in advance
Day of arrival
Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot - each of these dates requires booking 3-6 months in advance. Availability of mashgichim and special kosher products is particularly limited during these periods.
Step 3
Kitchen and catering - kosher food logistics
Kosher catering in Poland rests on three pillars: a supplier of certified imported products, our certified mashgiach, and koshering of the hotel kitchen. All three must work together - none can substitute for the others.
Products. Kosher meat (Glatt or standard) comes from imports - mainly from France, Belgium, Brazil and Argentina. Dairy (including Chalav Yisrael) from Israel and Belgium. Dry goods, canned foods and beverages with certification from various EU countries. Several kosher shops operate in Krakow and Warsaw, but for groups of more than 30 we order and source products centrally.
Kitchen. Every hotel kitchen must be koshered before it can be used to prepare kosher meals. The process takes several hours and is carried out by the mashgiach together with our team. After koshering, the kitchen is locked under the mashgiach's key and opened only for cooking under supervision.
Menu. Every meal is designated in advance as meat or dairy - there is no possibility of a last-minute change. We recommend alternating: mornings dairy (breakfast), evenings meat (dinner) or vice versa, depending on preferences and the planned Shabbat program.
Ask the group in advance about allergies and special diets (vegetarian, gluten-free). Kosher menus can accommodate these, but it requires advance planning with the supplier.
Step 4
Accommodation - choosing a Shabbat-friendly hotel
With an Orthodox Jewish group, price and location are only the start of choosing a hotel. The hotel has to meet several specific technical requirements, and you need to check each one yourself, because a general statement from the hotel is not enough.
- Shabbat lift. Automatically stops at every floor without pressing a button. Without one - rooms must be on floors accessible by stairs without an electric lock.
- Stairs accessible without an electric lock. Emergency or standard, but usable on Shabbat without activating any electrical circuit.
- Kosher kitchen or kitchenette. Possibility of koshering the existing kitchen (or providing a separate unit) during the group's stay - with acceptance of the kitchen being locked under the mashgiach's key.
- Policy on pork. The hotel agrees not to serve pork in the restaurant or common areas during the kosher group's stay.
- Shabbat room or dining room. A separate room for Shabbat meals, Friday dinner and group prayers - without music or other hotel activity.
- Location. Ideally within walking distance of the synagogue and key program sites - transport is not permitted on Shabbat.
Verify every point directly with the hotel, not through a travel agency. "We have hosted Jewish groups before" is not equivalent to meeting the requirements of a specific Orthodox group.
Step 5
Cultural program - synagogues, cemeteries, museums
In Krakow alone there are active synagogues, cemeteries with matzevot from the 16th-19th centuries, museums, a cultural center and the Kazimierz district - the historic heart of Jewish Krakow. Every site requires advance group booking.
Rules for planning the program:
- Active synagogues require adherence to dress codes (head covering for men, modest dress for women) and silence during prayer. Book at least one month in advance.
- Jewish cemeteries - entrance for a fee or by prior reservation. Head covering is mandatory. Do not photograph gravestones without the administrator's consent.
- Museums and cultural centers - some offer educational programs in Hebrew or English for groups. Check availability before the trip.
- On Friday the program should not extend beyond a few dozen minutes before the onset of Shabbat. Plan a buffer and the return route to the hotel with a safety margin.
- On Saturday - only places within walking distance. Calculate distances on the map and check whether the route passes through built-up areas without an eruv (if this matters for your group).
We have prepared a separate resource on documented, little-known historical and architectural details in Kazimierz: Hidden details of Kazimierz →
Step 6
Shabbat - how to integrate it into the trip
For many participants Shabbat is the high point of the trip, so it is worth planning it as part of the program, as carefully as the sightseeing.
Friday - logistics of Shabbat entry: transfers and field activities end no later than 45-60 minutes before sunset. Time before Shabbat: settle in, get ready, candle lighting by women approximately 18 minutes before sunset. Friday evening dinner - Kiddush, Lechem Mishneh (two challahs), blessings, then a festive dinner.
Saturday: morning prayers (Shacharit), Shabbat breakfast or lunch, free time, afternoon prayers (Mincha). Cultural program exclusively within walking distance - synagogues, cemeteries, a walk through Kazimierz.
Saturday evening - end of Shabbat: after nightfall (approx. 50-60 minutes after sunset in Krakow) the Havdalah ceremony, after which activity can resume - restaurant dinner, evening program, transfers.
For many participants of educational and youth trips, Shabbat in Poland - with candles, Kiddush and dinner in the hotel hall - is the moment they speak about years after the trip. Take care of the atmosphere: table setting, singing, ambience.
Step 7
Ceremonies and events
Bar mitzvah, bat mitzvah, Passover seder, commemorations, conferences with prayer - each of these events requires individual planning and at least 2-4 months' lead time.
Bar mitzvah / bat mitzvah. The religious ceremony marking halachic maturity - a boy after his 13th birthday (bar mitzvah), a girl after her 12th (bat mitzvah). It requires a rabbi or cantor to lead, a minyan (in the Orthodox tradition - 10 men), a Torah scroll, and an appropriate space with gender separation (if required). Organization in Poland is possible - Krakow and Warsaw have active Jewish communities and synagogues available for such ceremonies.
Passover seder. A ritual meal lasting 3-5 hours with the reading of the Haggadah, matzah, maror and other prescribed elements. It requires kosher-for-Passover products (chametz-free), separate Passover utensils, a leader and an appropriate hall. Organize at least 3 months in advance due to the logistics of Passover products.
Commemorations. Visits to sites of martyrdom - Auschwitz-Birkenau, ghettos, labor camps - require particular sensitivity in planning. It is worth allowing time for private prayer and Kaddish, not just guided tours.
Step 8
Documents and formalities
Organizing a kosher trip to Poland does not require special Jewish or religious documents - it is primarily standard tourist logistics plus a few kashrut-specific matters.
Import of kosher products. Food products (meat, dairy, canned goods) brought from EU countries to Poland do not require special customs permits between member states. Products from Israel or other non-EU countries are subject to standard customs clearance and veterinary inspection. When ordering kosher meat from certified importers, documentation is standardly included.
Synagogue bookings. Most active or museum synagogues require written reservation - an email stating the number of participants, date and purpose of the visit. Some synagogues charge an entrance fee; others require a voluntary donation.
Group insurance. Standard group travel insurance generally does not cover losses related to religious matters. Check the contract terms, especially if a religious ceremony is planned.
We coordinate all of the above - from booking the mashgiach and koshering the kitchen, through hotel selection and contact, to synagogue reservations and ceremony organization. Contact us with the date, number of participants and kashrut level.
SEBIR's own equipment - independent of the venue
We bring everything with us and ensure compliance with the kashrut standard agreed with your rabbi - regardless of what the hotel or venue offers.
- Shabbat warming. Platas and thermoses - hot food without using fire on Shabbat.
- Tableware. A complete set of dishes and cutlery, ready for every meal.
- Kiddush, Havdalah and the table. Cups, wine, candles - everything for the blessings on site.
- Temporary synagogue. Torah ark, chairs and setup - arranged wherever you are.
- Shabbat amenities. Automatic light timers and a mechitza - details that make Shabbat easier.
- Drinking water for groups. Bottles, tanks or coolers - matched to the size of the group.
- Products from Israel. Spices, add-ins and flavors that are hard to find locally.
- Technical equipment. Sound system, microphones, AV gear, projectors, LED screens, stage production, lectern, red carpets and decor for hire.
Meat and dairy never mix. When the venue has a separate kitchen - two separate sets of tableware. When separation is not possible, for dairy meals we use one of two solutions: either an entirely plant-based (parve) meal, or - if the dish contains dairy - disposable tableware (paper, wood, plastic).
Ready to plan your trip?
Write to us with the basics - date, number of participants, kashrut level. We usually send a first reply within 24 hours and prepare an initial proposal once we know the details.
Further reading
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.
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.
Hosting a Jewish group in a hotel - what the hotel prepares and what we provide
Kitchen, halls, Shabbat in the building and the split of costs: what a hotel prepares for a group that keeps kashrut, and what the team cooking for…
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