The auditorium of the Union YM-YWHA morphed into 17 table-top work stations as the space steadily filled with both novice and seasoned challah bakers. Previously billed as an event for women and girls, this year’s Great Challah Bake had a few surprises, and one of them was that for the first time, there were also men in the room.
While the scene was reminiscent of past challah bakes, it also had a distinctively different feel to it. Challah bakes in prior years, timed to dovetail with the international Shabbat Project, were sponsored and promoted by MetroWest Federation. This year, explained Marcy Fox, newly appointed director of adult and senior programs at the Union YM-YWHA, the challah bake was independently coordinated and executed by the Union Y administration and staff.
This year’s challah bake also enjoyed the generous sponsorship and presence of one of the more recently appointed Y board members, Arthur Fisch. His daughter Faith Fisch, a 10 year veteran of the Y board, also sponsored and was joined by her daughter Rebecca —comprising a team of three generations of challah makers, and breaking the previous tradition of being an all-female event.
Another male in attendance, Evan Kreuter, is the new youth director and served as a volunteer table captain at the challah bake. Kreuter’s family moved to the area for this position, because they liked the feel of the Jewish community. Kreuter said that he acquired his love of baking from a grandfather who was a professional baker.
Arielle Ness said that she and her girls liked the idea of “doing this mitzvah all together with the community.”
According to Yael Susser, the challah bake “feels homey, is fun and challah is special.” Her table represented unifying friendships and diversity across several communities.
Newly-installed Union Y COO Jani Jonas smiled as she commented on the common theme of bringing communities together that was felt throughout the room. Arthur Fisch noted that 112 people came together for this special Jewish event, and how happy he was to be giving back to the community as a sponsor and board member.
Rivka Gross of the Linden table said that she also came to see if she could improve on her own challah recipe. Norma Kimmelman said that this was her first time ever making challah. Others like Helen Elberger said she felt the camaraderie both in the room and with the world, in terms of being part of a world-wide challah baking event.
Rachel Beer, keynote speaker, delivered a dvar Torah about the Torah’s definition of challah. She described what it meant during the time of the Mikdash to be supporting the Kohanim through the mitzvah of taking [and giving] challah. “It’s easy to forget the strength and power that this mitzvah has,” because we are still doing the mitzvah today, even though we don’t have Kohanim or the Beit Hamikdash right now. All said there was a unanimous sentiment of unity within and between tables.
The featured partnering charitable organization this year was Sharsheret, the national non profit supporting Jewish women and families facing breast and ovarian cancer. All programs, resources and kits are free and confidential. They can be reached at [email protected].
By Ellie Wolf
