At Tucson Bake, A Prayer for Israel

Photos by Jeff Weber

Over 250 women and girls prayed and danced together at the second Mega Challah Bake of Tucson, organized jointly by Chabad Tucson and the Tucson Jewish Community Center, on Thursday, October 22, 2015.

The community-wide event was held as part of The Shabbos Project, a global effort to encourage Jews to observe Shabbos from sundown Friday to the end of Saturday.

Baking challah is a time-honored mitzvah dating back to the Jewish matriarchs,” explained Feigie Ceitlin, program director of Chabad Tucson who guided participants through kneading and braiding.

Women of all ages participated, including students from the Tucson Hebrew Academy, Hebrew High School and the University of Arizona learning for the first time.

Each participant received a cloth apron, place mat with the recipe printed right on it, toppings for challah as Ceitlin taught about the significance of each ingredient and the blessings a woman traditionally makes during the process.

A delicious buffet offering a variety of challah breads and dip was prepared by Mrs. Chanie Shemtov as women mingled and shared Shabbos ideas and tips.

A highlight during the event was when the entire hall erupted in dance following the blessings on ‘taking Challah’ and praying for the safety and security of the people of Israel.

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“What makes the Mega Challah Bake so special, however, is not just the fact that it is such a well attended and beautiful event, but its far-reaching impact after the evening overextends far into weeks beyond it,” said Julie Zorn, the JCC’s Jewish culture specialist.

Zorn noted that the morning after the Mega Challah Bake, there were pictures of beautifully baked challah popping up all over social media.

“Each challah picture was posted with pride, and I only hope to hear from each of our participants that they continue to make challah for many years down the road,” she said. “They are certainly now well trained, and if they need a refresher course, they can always come back to the Mega Challah Bake next year.”