Simchas Torah Kibbudim Online Bidding
Simchat Torah Kibbudim Are Back – Now with Online Bidding!
Nusach Hari Bnai Zion has a time-honored Simchat Torah tradition of auctioning kibbudim, or honors. This year, we’re adding online bidding, so everyone can join the fun—even if you can’t attend the Simchat Torah Dinner on Saturday night, October 3!
www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-nhbz-simchat-torah-auction
The auction will feature our usual favorites, including Aliyahs, Hagbah and Gelilah, as well as the big ones:
- Chasan Torah — the final aliyah of the Torah
- Chasan Bereishis — the first aliyah as we begin the Torah anew
- Kol Hane’arim — when all pre-Bar/Bat Mitzvah children are called to the Torah
And then there are the fun and unique opportunities, including:
- Baking with Rabbi Rubin
- The First Candy Apple
- First serving of cholent
- Whiskey slush in your honor
- Sponsoring our security team for a Shabbos
- And more!
Everyone Can Bid!
Groups, men, and women may bid on any item. You do not have to attend the dinner—or even be in shul on Simchat Torah—to participate or win.
Place the winning bid, give the honor to someone else if you wish, and support NHBZ while making someone happy!
Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to celebrate tradition, tzedakah, and friendly competition.
Place Your Bids and Join the Fun!
Online bidding ends at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, September 29th. The auction continues for unsold items and reserved items at the Simchat Torah Dinner on Saturday night, October 3rd.
Winners of online auction notified via email by Friday morning Oct 2. Winners of in-person auction announced that evening and will be notified by email after Yom Tov. See our FAQ Below!
FAQ (please read before you bid):
What’s the difference between online bidding and in-person bidding?
Our online bidding occurs before in-person bidding. Both events are open to anyone, but you must be present at NHBZ on Saturday night October 3rd to participate in in-person bidding. There are a few other differences discussed below.
What forms of payments are accepted for online bidding vs. in-person bidding?
The online bidding requires the use of a credit card. Your card will only be charged at the end of the online auction if you are a winning bidder but the card must be submitted at the time you place your first bid(s). The winners of in-person bidding will be invoiced by the synagogue and can pay the synagogue through Paypal/credit card, with a check, through a donation of stock, or with an IRA distribution.
Can I forward the online auction website link to other people I know?
Yes, feel free to forward the link to anyone who may be interested in submitting legitimate bids. Auction winners just have to find someone in our community to accept the honor on their behalf. See below.
The minimum bids on the online bidding site look pretty high.
Yes, this is intentional. Any items that do not sell through the online bidding process will go to in-person bidding. There are additional items being held for in-person bidding. An email will go out to the NHBZ distribution list on Friday, October 2 with the full list of items still available for sale at the in-person auction. The starting bids for in-person bidding will be much lower than the ones for online bidding.
Can I get my bid cancelled?
Not normally. Think of your auction bid as a final transaction. In cases of severe personal hardship the auction organizers may attempt, entirely at their own discretion, to cancel bids. You can contact us here: nusachhari2026auction@gmail.com.
Does the auction website charge fees?
Zeffy does not charge fees but they do ask for “tips” to be added to your bid amounts. The default tip is pretty high. Please make sure that you adjust the tip to an amount that you are comfortable with before submitting your bid. There is no obligation to give any tip at all.
Having to provide my credit card number every time I place a new bid sure sounds like a pain.
Yes, it would be. You can place all of your bids on Zeffy at once and then checkout one time for all of your bids. Zeffy will email you at the email address you provide to let you know that you have been outbid. That email contains a secure link that you can use to place a new bid. The link will allow you to place your bid without re-entering all of your information.
Does the person who wins the online bidding need to be present in synagogue to accept the honor? If not, how do I prove that I won the auction?
The person who will be accepting the honor must show up at NHBZ at the appropriate time on Simchat Torah with a printout of the “Congratulations! You’re the Winning Bidder” email from
Zeffy. If you have won the honor then please make sure to forward this email to at most one person so that they can print it out. The printout should show the email address of the online auction winner.
For most honors the person accepting the honor must be a Jewish male of Bar Mitzvah age or older. Certain honors must be accepted by a Kohen or Levi.
The auction organizers and synagogue staff may elect, entirely at their own discretion, to waive the requirement to present a printout if the email address of the winner is known personally to them and the winner is present in synagogue at the time the honor is given out, or if a prior arrangement has been made with the winner. We recommend bringing the printout in any event.
If you won the in-person auction there is no printout to bring. Make sure you identify yourself to the in-person auction organizers.
The “Things for Another Day” honors can be arranged at a later date by calling the synagogue office after Yom Tov.
What if no one shows up at the appropriate time to collect a purchased honor?
If no one identifies themself as the auction winner at the appropriate time then another member of the community will be given the honor instead. No refund will be granted to the auction winner as a result of a no-show.
Do you have protections against auction sniping?
Yes, Zeffy will extend the auction by 3 minutes if a bid is submitted in the last 3 minutes of the auction. If you are serious about winning an item, we recommend that you monitor the auction and your email closely on September 29th, just before the auction closes at 6 pm.
What if the credit card transaction fails after online bidding?
Online bidding closes at 6 pm on September 29th. The credit card you provided when you submitted your bid will be charged immediately. If there is an issue with the credit card payment this will be reported to the auction organizers. If there is sufficient time remaining, we will contact you at the email address you provided when you submitted your bid, so that you can provide another credit card for payment. If we are unable to work this out with you by 6 pm on October 1 the auction organizers will decide, entirely at their own discretion, whether to:
- Honor your bid and invoice you after Yom Tovfor the amount, or
- Release the honor you bid for back into the pool for in-person bidding.
You will be notified of our decision by Friday morning October 2.
Will I receive a receipt from Zeffy for a tax deduction?
Winners of the online auction will receive a confirmation email from Zeffy showing the amount paid for the winning bid. Your winning bid is tax deductible subject to applicable federal and state tax laws.
I have other questions.
You can contact us here: nusachhari2026auction@gmail.com. This email address is not monitored on Jewish holidays and Sabbath.
