How to Choose a Zemiros Set for Your Shabbos Table

Buy for the table you actually set. A set of six in your nusach, in a large font, in a holder that matches your table is right for most homes; a set of twelve is for homes that host every week. Cover material and design matter, but they come after those three.

A zemiros set is the piece that gets handled most at a Shabbos table and replaced least often, so it is worth a few minutes of thought before buying. This guide covers set sizes, font, nusach, covers, and holder styles, and ends with what to do when one bencher gets ruined. Browse the zemiros sets collection whenever you are ready.

1. What Is Actually in a Zemiros Set

A zemiros set is a matched group of benchers, each containing Birkas Hamazon plus the Shabbos and Yom Tov zemiros sung at the table, together with a holder that keeps them upright and together. Most sets also include the brachos said around a meal, Kiddush, and Havdalah.

The terms zemiros set and bencher set are used interchangeably by most shops, including this one. If that is the question that brought you here, our post on bencher set vs zemiros set answers it in full, and what is a bencher covers the basics.

2. Set of Six or Set of Twelve

Count the seats you set on a normal Friday night, not your biggest Yom Tov.

Sets of twelve are also the natural group gift, which is why they show up on so many wedding lists. More on that in our bencher sets for weddings guide.

3. Font Size Is the Most Underrated Decision

Large font sets cost slightly more and get used noticeably more. Three groups of people at every table benefit:

• Grandparents and older guests, who otherwise decline a bencher and bench from memory.
• Children learning to bench, who follow the words far better in a larger type.
• Everyone at a Friday night table lit by candles rather than overhead light.

If you are choosing between a large font set and a more decorative standard font set at the same price, take the large font. It is the difference between a set that gets used and a set that gets admired.

4. Nusach: Match the Home, Not the Shop

Benchers are printed in Ashkenaz, Sefard, and Edut Mizrach, and the text differs. A set in the wrong nusach is the most common reason a beautiful set ends up unused in a closet.

Check the nusach on the product page before ordering, and if you are buying as a gift, ask someone close to the family rather than guessing. When a household includes more than one minhag, some families keep a small number of benchers in the second nusach alongside the main set.

5. Covers: Hardcover, Leatherite, Leather, and Lucite

Cover material decides how the set looks in year three, not year one.

6. Holder Style: Swivel, Tabletop, or Pouch

• Swivel holders fan the benchers open so several people take one at once, then close into a compact column. The best choice for a full table.
• Tabletop holders keep the set in one place as part of the setting, and suit a table where the benchers stay out all Shabbos.
• Pouch sets zip closed and travel, which suits couples who are away for Shabbos often or who bench in a succah or a second location.

If your cutlery and salt already sit on a matching stand, note that some cutlery holders come with a bencher set built in. See our guide to lucite cutlery holders for how those combined sets work.

7. Care, and What to Do When One Gets Ruined

Something will eventually spill on one bencher. That does not mean replacing the set.

1. Let a spill on a leather or leatherite cover dry, then wipe. Rubbing a wet cover is what marks it.
2. Wipe the lucite holder with a soft damp cloth. Avoid ammonia based glass cleaners and abrasive pads, which permanently dull it.
3. Buy a single replacement bencher or bencher card rather than a new set. They are sold individually.
4. Replacement holders are also sold on their own, for a set whose benchers are fine but whose holder has been through a few years of Shabbos meals.
5. Return the benchers to the holder after the meal. A set that gets stacked on the counter is a set that slowly goes missing.

How to Choose, in One Line

Buy your nusach in a large font, six for a family table and twelve if you host, in a holder that matches how your table is used, and replace single pieces instead of whole sets.

Setting the rest of the table? See lucite dip dishes, lucite cake holders, and how to set a beautiful Shabbos table.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a zemiros set?

A zemiros set is a matched group of benchers containing Birkas Hamazon and the Shabbos and Yom Tov zemiros, with a holder that keeps them together on the table. Most sets also include Kiddush, Havdalah, and the brachos said around a meal. Feldart's come in lucite, leather, and leatherite holders.

What is the difference between a zemiros set and a bencher set?

In practice the terms describe the same item and most shops use them interchangeably. What matters when buying is the content, the format, and the holder: nusach, font size, set size, and whether the holder is a swivel, a tabletop stand, or a travel pouch.

How many benchers do I need for my Shabbos table?

Count the seats you set on a normal Friday night, not your largest Yom Tov meal. Six suits a couple or a family with young children, and twelve suits a family that hosts most weeks. A long table is usually better served by two holders placed apart than by one passed around.

Which nusach should I choose?

Match the nusach of the home the set is for: Ashkenaz, Sefard, or Edut Mizrach. The text differs between them, and a set in the wrong nusach tends to go unused. Check the product page before ordering, and ask the family if you are buying it as a gift.

Can I replace just one bencher or one holder?

Yes. Individual benchers, bencher cards, and replacement bencher holders are sold separately, so a stained cover or a worn holder does not mean buying a new set. This also makes refreshing an older set a good anniversary or housewarming gift.

Feldart is not a halachic authority. For questions about nusach or the text of a bencher, ask your rav.