Wolf: I feel the same way as you do. When I first began attending my shul (I wasn’t yet a member) to say kaddish for my mother, I never stayed for kiddush after Shabbat services. I only attended there for 3 weeks when I knew this shul was my new “home”. As soon as I joined, I felt comfortable attending the kiddush. However, I have been told by many that I was silly, because any Jew is welcome at any shul and if they are hungry, they should eat. I know this is true and many times when I see an unfamiliar face on a Saturday morning, I make a point of inviting them to stay and eat. However, I still know exactly how you feel. At that time, I somehow felt like I was being a schnorer even though, I have seen big time schnorring at my shul and at others. I still can’t figure out why people think they are entitled to take home “care” packages from someone else’s simcha – but that is a whole other topic.
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