Leading Caterers of America is an exclusive group of caterers, considered to be at the highest level of service and knowledge in North America. Catersource magazine, a catering industry professional’s leading B2B publication, is in charge of the selection process to become a part of this group. Besides being a leader in their respective market, a member of the Leading Caterers of America must also be a trendsetter. They contribute, in some way, useful knowledge gained by following industry best practices and pioneering new trends to the rest of the catering industry.  Catering by Michaels is honored to be a member of the Leading Caterers of America.

Here’s exactly what it means to be a member of this truly prestigious group.

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Yom Kippur is considered to be one of the most important and holiest holidays in the Jewish calendar. “Yom Kippur” means “Day of Atonement,” which refers to the yearly Jewish observance of fasting, prayer and repentance. This Jewish holiday is part of the High Holidays – which also includes Rosh Hashanah.

Yom Kippur falls at the 10th day of Tishri, and this year, it begins the evening of October 11 and ends the evening of October 12.

Here’s everything you need to know about Yom Kippur.

Fasting

Fasting is an act of fulfilling the biblical commandment to “practice self-denial.” The fast enables putting aside physical desires to instead focus on spiritual needs. These spiritual needs are actualized through prayer, repentance, and self-improvement.

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Rosh Hashanah is a religious festival which literally means “Head of the New Year.” This festival marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year, as well as the start of a 10 day period of prayer, self-examination and repentance. For people who practice Judaism, it also marks the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve.

The Jewish Year

Rosh Hashanah is celebrated for two days, beginning in the Hebrew month of Tishrei. Because of the difference between the solar and lunar calendar, the occasion doesn’t fall on a static date each year, but usually happens in September or October in the secular calendar.

This year (2016), Rosh Hashanah will start the evening of October 2 and will end the evening of October 4.

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We’re sad to see it go, but the summer is almost over. Now, it’s time for beautiful fall which will shortly lead to what’s sure to be another cold winter in Chicago. But we’re not letting inevitability get us down! Instead, we choose to focus on the fun side of fall and winter — holiday parties. But we get a lot of customers who come to us hoping to really spice things up. The fact is, most holiday parties suck. But yours doesn’t have to. Be the office hero, and give this list to your boss or whoever’s in charge of your holiday work party.

Here are 5 holiday work party ideas that don’t suck.

White Elephant Gift Exchange

The best part about white elephant gift exchanges are that nobody knows what to expect. Instead of picking something out for a specific person (who you may not know well enough to adequately gift), everyone who wants to participate brings something fun. It’s easy for anyone to participate – the budget is set at a low monetary amount across the board (usually $10-20). Brit.co put together a massive list of white elephant ideas if you’re running low and need inspiration.

Costume or Fancy Theme Party

If you work in a casual environment, it can be nice to dress up. One of our favorite tips on the holiday work party ideas that don’t suck list is encouraging people to dress up nice. Or wear costumes! Either way, it gives everyone the chance to see their coworkers in a new light. Bonus points if you get a photobooth – those pictures will get shared all over social media and hold a special place on people’s desks.

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Did you know that Catering by Michaels handles a wide scope of events for many prestigious schools in the Chicago area? Some of these schools include Northwestern, Columbia, Roosevelt, University of Chicago, and also K-12 schools like Niles West and Glenbrook North.

Our catering services include full service and delivery for homecoming, reunions, departmental meetings, and more.

We chatted with Shannon Sherwood and Meredyth Brook, who both work with our educational partners at Catering by Michaels, to get their insights on catering for Chicago area schools.

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