100s Participate in Crown Heights’ 1st Ever Challah Bake

A sweeping trend taking place in Jewish communities around the world has come to Crown Heights, and in a grand style. Hundreds of local women took part in the ‘Grand Challah Bake’ in the large ballroom of Oholei Torah on Wednesday night.

An amazing trend which has been sweeping through Jewish communities around the world – from South Africa, to Florida, through Atlanta and Canada as well – thousands have taken part in the fun activity of baking Challah, but more importantly doing the Mitzvah of hafroshas challah.

This trend has now successfully come to Crown Heights, with over 300 women taking part in this momentous event.

For a nominal $15 fee, women were greeted with a set table including all the ingredients needed to make the dough, later to be baked into Challahs.

The event was emceed by Mrs. Chanie Minkowitz who from the stage directed first timers and veterans on the steps to bring flour and water all the way to braided loaves.

Mrs. Esther Vilenkin, a renowned Shlucha and educator spoke to the crowd about the deeper meaning of hafroshas challah.

The event concluded with a Farbrengen.6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63

20 Comments

  • Bayla brown

    Hi Etty. You finally got to join in a Challah Bake. Hi Ashira, I hope your dough rose as much as it did here in Manchester!! Good to see you also Chana Pesha :)

  • Yasher Koach !

    The event was so unique and uplifting ! It was chaired by the very talented Sara Blau !

  • Brookyn Bridge

    Interesting how all other frum communities do this but Crown Heights was the last to join. Beautiful!

    • Feigy Minkowicz

      Crown Heights had a very very busy Tishrei:)))))) in a way that NOWHERE else in the world ever happens!!!! so i guess the Event happened when it was due, after Tishrei.

  • Boruch

    Nice that all these people are doing the mitzvah of hafroshas challah but I’m very uncomfortable when we take our cue from what is done in Chabad houses or in kiruv communities

    I see too much watered down yiddishkeit creeping into our community from Chabad house minhagim – What is good and encouraged in a chabad house is not necessarily appropriate for us.

    • Feigy Minkowicz

      no one forces you to follow…..this event was done for women that appreciate and want to know more about the mitzwa of separating the challah.

  • to "brooklyn bridge"

    Not sure of your definiton of “frum community” but in the other frum communities in brooklyn women bake challah every week and don’t need grand events to encourage them to observe this great mitzvah.

    Having to make such an event is a testament to our level. As someone else commented above – these are chabad house stlye events similar to events that shluchim make to encourage people to light shabbos candles.

    • ...

      a lot of the women attending bake challah on their own every week, youre missing the point. the point is the togetherness and unity of women doing this important mitvzah and powerful together

  • Chana

    To #4. I totally disagree with you. What is “watered down” about hundreds of women coming together in achdus to do the mitzvah of hafroshas challah especially after this week’s tragedy? The Rebbe taugh us to add light and do more Mitzvos when something like this happens r”l. Was that directive only apply to shluchim and Chabad houses? lol hakavod jr n’shei for uniting the women of Crown Heights.

  • Awesome

    Looks like everyone had such an awesome time. I see so many of my friends! B”H for good things!

  • Agree with 4&5

    I’ve been trying to understand what the point of this event. Isn’t the whole idea of it to teach people about the mitzvah of הפרשת חלה?

  • Cholent Mit Kugel

    Gee, wonder if CH bakeries will be baking less challas this friday am…since so many know now how to do it? Next…gefilte fish boil off…put Raskins fish log out of business…lol…Next…making wine distill-off…put Ebers out of business…Next…style your own sheitel curl-o-rama…put the sheitel machers of CH out of business..Next..be a Super-Shadchanit..keep your money and learn to use a cell phone to make inquiries..No lack of community ideas. Really, looking around the room, so many need to learn to use hair conditioners…the ends are totally split!

  • event

    Even though women make challah at home, b’ezras Hashem, the Rebbe encouraged women to have gatherings to brush up on halachas for taharas hamishpocho for example, so why not a gathering to brush up on the mitzva of challah and the deeper meaning behind it behind it. B’rov am hadras melech.
    This is not watered down Judaism-it is strengthening a mitzva and strengthening achdus.

  • Proud Mom

    Yashar koach to Miriam Lagziel and her amazing team of Jr. Nshei Chabad for all the hours upon hours of hard work and late nights to plan and implement this INCREDIBLE event!! Your efforts will surely bring more achdus and Ahavas Yisroel in Crown Heights and beyond and especially , bring the revelation of Moshiach NOW!!

  • Feigy Minkowicz

    to # 11….you are talking a bunch of nonsense…. you totally missed the point of this event…..
    And to everyone else that comments, first of all, be a MENCH, and sign your name! second, what the job of EVERY Jew, is to bring Yidiskeit and people together! not to knock down your fellow brother…!

  • are u kidding?

    When I heard about this event, I was very excited to go. I bake Challah all the time, but I saw it as much more than that. Why do some people feel they have to bring negativity into everything and bash what was a most inspiring and meaningful evening? Maybe because they didn’t attend. Their loss. It was sooo much more than baking Challah. It was an evening of Achdus and davenning for one another and inspiration and depth. I don’t think you’ll ever see 600 women in a Chabad house singing Keli Ato or Sheyibone. Esther Vilenkin spoke brilliantly, she encouraged us to strengthen our connection to Hashem and the Rebbe, she spoke to us as Chasidim. I don’t think her talk could have been any more “concentrated”. So for you who thought we are watering down the deal, you should have been there. Yes, we made Challah but we walked away with so much more than a bowl of dough. I believe the Rebbe is very proud of the organizers of this event and all those who attended. It’s like saying, all the Chabad Houses have beautiful Mikvaos but Crown Heights shouldn’t because it’s for Baalei Teshuvah. Seriously.. I am so happy I went and was a part of this historic event. Please, there’s enough negativity in this world, lets all see the best in everyone and everything. It’s positivity that has great effects. Bonus: my house smelled yummy when I baked my Challah. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all those who worked tirelessly to make it happen.