Controversy Over Challah Resolved

By COLlive reporter

A recent article on COLlive.com about homemade spelt and egg-free challah that was being sold in Crown Heights as a fundraiser for The Beis Medrash stirred discussion after people questioned its need for a hechsher.

While commentators praised Chanel Lipskier for taking initiative to support her husband Rabbi Motty Lipskier‘s evening Torah learning center for men, some inquired about the need for a kosher supervision on the products.

The latter felt that it would create a new, uninvited trend in frum communities where people won’t bother to check who is behind a homemade product, or would encourage the precedent of trusting an individual person to be loyal to kashrus when financials are a factor.

In a conversation with COLlive on Thursday, Mrs. Lipskier said she actually agreed with the comments that suggested that this might become a fad and cause problems.

“After reading the comments I realized how valid they were,” she says. “Do we want to teach our children to have to judge each person that sells homemade goods and ‘decide’ if we can trust their standards? It is a lot simpler and safer if we teach them the black and white symbols to look out for.”

Mrs. Lipsker said she contacted CHK, the kosher supervision of the Crown Heights Beis Din for a full review and has received their certification. “Rabbi Berel Levertov went through all the ingredients, the baking process, and many other details and then gave us the hechsher,” she said.

Another development is that the challahs are now being kneaded and baked in the kitchen of the United Lubavitcher Yeshiva boys school on Crown Street.

“My kitchen was too small of a work-space and having only one oven for all the challah made baking them a very long process,” she explained.

So when Yossi Langsam of the Yeshiva graciously allowed Lipskier to use the kitchen on Friday mornings, she gratefully accepted and it has made production much more efficient.

So if you happen to be awake at 5:30 AM Friday morning, you are welcome to join Chanel Lipskier and professional baker and cake designer Miriam Szokovski and other volunteers at the Lubavitcher Yeshiva kitchen as they perform this unusual mitzvah.

The challahs are sold at Apple Drugs on Kingston Avenue. 100% of the proceeds from sales go directly to The Beis Medrash. To make a customized order please email [email protected].