In Israel the office holiday party usually takes the form of a harmat kosit, literally "raising a glass": a short toast before a Jewish holiday, with drinks, a bite and a few words from management. It's the shortest event a company runs, and also the easiest to get wrong: it starts late, the CEO talks for 20 minutes without a microphone, the food runs out, and half the people have already left. This guide sorts it out: the holiday calendar and when to book for each one, a 2 to 3 hour format with times, who speaks and for how long, and what food works.
When should you book a venue for each holiday?
Holiday toasts cluster in the 2 weeks before each holiday, and every company wants the same days. The difference between the company that got the Thursday it wanted and the one that settled for a Monday is usually 2 weeks of booking ahead.
Rosh Hashanah
The big toast of the year, before the Jewish New Year, in the 2 weeks before the holiday in September and sometimes early October. Book 6 weeks ahead, which means in August. Thursdays go first.
Hanukkah
During the week of the holiday, usually in December, in the afternoon, with sufganiyot (doughnuts). School is out for Hanukkah, which pulls parents out of the office early, so 16:00 works well. Book 3 to 4 weeks ahead.
Passover
In the week before the holiday, before people head off on vacation. Book 4 weeks ahead, and check with the venue what happens with the menu on the eve of the holiday itself.
Independence Day
Yom Ha'atzmaut, in spring: the day before or during the week of the holiday. Book 3 to 4 weeks ahead. A toast like this fits well with the end of a shortened workday.
End of year, December
In the last 2 weeks of December, mostly at companies that work with clients abroad. December is packed with long company evenings, so a short afternoon toast gets an easier date. Book 4 to 6 weeks ahead.
A company milestone
A funding round, a launch, the company's anniversary, the end of a quarter. Here there's no competition for dates: 2 to 3 weeks ahead is enough, and midweek sometimes less.
How does a 2 to 3 hour toast run, and what time do you start?
The format that works: arrive, have a drink, 10 minutes of speeches once everyone is in, a light standing buffet, drinks, and an end time everyone knew in advance. Here it is in hours, in two versions.
| During the workday | After work | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 16:00 | 19:00 | Arrivals, a first drink in hand within a minute |
| 16:25 | 19:25 | Everyone's in, glasses up: 10 minutes of speeches |
| 16:35 | 19:35 | Buffet opens, second drink |
| 17:30 | 20:30 | Music up, standing conversations |
| 18:00 to 19:00 | 21:00 to 22:00 | The end, at a known time |
The speeches come at minute 25, not minute 1: latecomers don't miss them, and the people who came on time already have a glass in hand. It's also the moment that marks the event as started. Which version to choose depends on who the company is.
16:00 during the workday
Everyone is already at the office, and nobody has to come back in the evening. It suits companies with parents of young children and teams who commute from far away. The toast closes the workday.
19:00 after work
It feels more like an evening and less like a meeting. People stay longer, drink more, and the end drifts to 22:00. It suits young teams and companies that want the toast to be a bit of a party too.
Thursday or midweek
Thursday is the most requested day, so it's the first to go; most of Tel Aviv works Sunday to Thursday. Tuesday or Wednesday at 16:00 gets the same effect, with more open dates and fewer people already off for the weekend.
Who speaks, and for how long?
The rule: 10 minutes of speeches in total. After that the glasses are empty and people are looking at their phones.
The CEO: up to 5 minutes
What we've been through, what's ahead, thank you. If there's a slide deck, this isn't the moment for it. 5 minutes with a glass in hand are worth more than 15 without.
One or two more
A team lead who wants to say thank you, or the colleague who makes everyone laugh. 2 to 3 minutes each, coordinated in advance so they don't say the same thing.
Short greetings
If you want more people to speak, do a round of one-sentence greetings. Two microphones in the room make it easy: one for the host, one that goes round the room.
What food works for an office holiday toast?
A light buffet, not a meal
People come from the office and aren't hungry for dinner. A light standing buffet with 5 to 7 items is enough for 3 hours, and keeps people moving around instead of stuck in a chair.
Sharing plates
Food you can hold in one hand, because the other hand has a glass in it. Pastries, small salads, pizzas from the taboon (a wood-fired oven), something sweet at the end. At a Hanukkah toast: sufganiyot, obviously.
Drinks
Wine and beer cover most of the company. Anyone who wants cocktails too can go for a bigger package. Either way, plenty of soft drinks and water, because some people drive afterwards.
Kashrut
Ezra has no kashrut certificate and is open on Shabbat. The menu is dairy-vegetarian only, with no meat, fish or seafood, so say so in the invite if some of the team keep kosher.
What does a holiday toast at Ezra include?
A 3-hour happy hour format
The toast at Ezra is built on exactly this format: a 3-hour happy hour with a light standing buffet, wine and beer, and the whole space closed for your company.
Microphones and projector in the room
Two microphones, a projector and a fold-out screen are already there, so the greetings and the video work from the first minute.
Group size: most 20 to 50, up to 60
Most companies bring 20 to 50 employees, and the space takes up to 60.
Live dates, booked online
Open dates show live on company events at Ezra, where you can also book online.
What should you bring from the office?
- Name list and final numbers, 3 days before
- Who speaks, in what order, for how many minutes
- Slides or a video on USB, if there are any
- Holiday gifts for the team
- A sign or logo, for a group photo
- A playlist, or the name of a DJ you like
- Photos: someone's phone or a photographer
- An end time everyone knows
Holiday toast in the office or outside?
Both options work, and each gives a different evening.
In the office
Nobody has to travel, and it can happen at any moment. Someone on the team orders, sets up and cleans up after. People drift back to their desks after 40 minutes, because the desk is right there.
Outside
You need to book a date in advance. In return, nobody sets up or cleans up, there's a bar and a microphone, and people stay 2 to 3 hours because there's nowhere to go back to. It's worth it when the goal is for people from different departments to talk, not just to raise a glass.
The bottom line
An office holiday party outside the office is 2 to 3 hours: arrival, 10 minutes of speeches once everyone is in, a light standing buffet, drinks, and a known end time. During the workday start at 16:00, after work at 19:00. The CEO speaks for up to 5 minutes, one or two people after. For Rosh Hashanah book 6 weeks ahead, for the other holidays 3 to 4. And if you want a longer evening, there's a team evening guide and a company event checklist to go on with.
A holiday toast at Ezra: 3 hours, the whole space yours
A private bar in Tel Aviv that closes just for your company, most groups 20 to 50 employees, up to 60. A light buffet, wine and beer, two microphones and a projector in the room. Pick an open date and book online.
Holiday toast at Ezra Ask on WhatsAppFrequently asked questions
How long should an office holiday party be?
2 to 3 hours. Half an hour of arrivals, 10 minutes of speeches, then a light buffet, drinks and conversation. Beyond 3 hours it becomes a team evening, with a full meal and dancing.
What time should a company holiday toast start?
16:00 if it's part of the workday: everyone is already at the office and nobody has to come back. 19:00 if you want it to feel like an evening: people stay longer and drink more. Thursday is the most requested day, so Tuesday and Wednesday are more available.
Who should speak at a company holiday toast, and for how long?
The CEO for up to 5 minutes, and one or two more people for 2 to 3 minutes each. 10 minutes in total, once everyone is in with a glass in hand. Two microphones also allow a short round of greetings.
What food should you serve at an office holiday toast?
A light standing buffet and sharing plates, not a seated meal. People move between groups with a glass in one hand and a bite in the other, and conversations don't get stuck around one table.
When should you book a venue for a Rosh Hashanah toast?
6 weeks ahead, which means in August. Toasts cluster in the 2 weeks before the holiday and every company wants a Thursday, so late bookers end up with a Monday. For Hanukkah, Passover and Independence Day, 3 to 4 weeks is enough.