Over 1,000 Kids at Record-Breaking Challah Bake

Some 1,128 children gathered on Tuesday afternoon for a “Kids Mega Challah Bake” event, which took place at the New York Hilton in Midtown Manhattan. There, they broke an existing record in Hong Kong held by 426 students, who learned how to knead and bake dough, in 2013. The Guinness World Records is currently tallying up the results for a final announcement.

From Chabad.org by Reuvena Leah Grodnitzky:

Created by a committee of 11 local mothers, the event included kindergarteners through eighth-graders (ages 5 to 13) who learned to mix, knead and make their own challah dough, which they then brought home to bake.

A whopping 1,000 eggs, 1,000 pounds of flour and 7,000 ounces of water were used in the process.

Eliza and Jordana Weiss “had a ball,” says their mother, Jennifer Weiss, who accompanied the girls along with her husband, Ron. “It was incredible to see so many people there—many of whom we recognized from school and our neighborhood. It was extremely well-organized; everything was laid out for them.”

The second-grader and kindergartner go to P.S. 11 in Chelsea and the New York Hebrew School. They attended Preschool of the Arts as well, where they made challah every Friday, according to their mother.

At Tuesday’s event, the family left with “two huge challahs,” says Jennifer Weiss. It took about a half-hour for them to bake at home. And the results?

“It was excellent, delicious!” declares Weiss. “We ate one and froze the other.”

The historic event had added significance as Jewish communities worldwide celebrate the year of Hakhel, a once-every-seven-years opportunity to celebrate Jewish unity and learning.

‘A Feeling of Jewish Unity and Pride’

“The energy in the room was unbelievable,” said Gillie Shanowitz, co-director of the New York Hebrew School in Manhattan and one of the event’s organizers. “There was a feeling of total Jewish unity and Jewish pride, as people from all walks of Jewish life came together to do a mitzvah.”

“It’s something these girls and boys will remember for a very long time,” adds Bryce Gruber, also an event organizer.

Challah in its more widely known usage refers to braided bread traditionally eaten on Shabbat and other holidays, and is considered one of the most famous of Jewish foods. But in its more basic, biblical meaning, challah is the piece of dough that is traditionally separated and consecrated to G‑d while baking bread, a mitzvah that has been performed by Jews for more than 100 generations.

The program consisted of children making their own challah dough from scratch. While their dough rose, they participated in a challah-themed game show. Afterwards, they performed the mitzvah of separating a portion of the dough and making the blessing over it, followed by braiding the dough and then packing it up to bake at home. The children were provided with snacks and their own #KidsChallah apron to take with them.

More than 30 different educational institutions, synagogues and other groups throughout New York City were represented at the event. Sponsors included JSpace.com, JCC Manhattan, PJ Library, Hellmann’s Mayo and UJA-Federation of New York. Private donors also contributed to the costs associated with the event.