Breaking Bread at the Milken Challah Bake

 

It was all about the challah at Milken’s first Challah Bake, the celebration of making the traditional Jewish bread—a staple of the Shabbat table. More than 300 people gathered for the multi-generational event held on Wednesday, October 25, in the Middle School amphitheater. There was an air of excitement as participants eagerly entered the large tent filled with long tables that stretched from the front to the back. Covered with blue tablecloths, the tables were outfitted with mixing bowls filled with the ingredients needed to make the challah, as well as aprons for each baker. Music blared from the loudspeakers and a video of campus event photos was displayed on monitors.

 

A community event, the tent was filled with bakers of all levels of experience, some were old pros and had baked challah before, others were trying it for the first time. Rivkah Eisenberg, the Master of Ceremonies for the evening, guided everyone through the step by step process to prepare the challah. She also shared stories of her childhood in England and recalled the importance her mother placed on the Shabbat dinner and serving challah, saying, “bread is for the body, but challah is for the soul.” Eisenberg explained the significance of each ingredient and what they represented.

 

As the evening progressed, the tent was abuzz with lively conversations, laughter, and music. Participants of all ages stood side by side, mixing, kneading, and connecting during this amazing community building event.

 

The energy in the tent reached a fever pitch while the dough was rising, with attendees exuberantly dancing together around the tables as onlookers recorded videos of the joyous moment on their cell phones. Before the dough was braided into loaves, they performed the mitzvah of challah, a commandment from the Torah, separating a piece of the dough before braiding, and praying with a special blessing.

 

“The incredible turnout at last night’s event was a true testament of an amazing, spirited, and passionate Jewish Community at Milken. We hope this is the beginning of many more times to get together as a community and celebrate our Judaism,” remarked Chareen Kossoff P’21, the coordinator of the event and member of the Milken Parent Association.

The sold-out event is part of the Shabbat Project, a global initiative started by South Africa’s Chief Rabbi to create unity in the Jewish community to celebrate Shabbat. It has since grown to include 1,357 participating cities in 96 countries.

 

The night was a huge success. When the Challah Bake ended, each participant left with two oven-ready challah loaves to serve during their Shabbat dinner and lasting memories of a wonderful night of inspiration, bonding, and making challah.

 

Mark your calendars now for the next Milken Challah Bake, which will take place on October 18, 2018.