Thanksgiving Dinner Panic? Chabad Women Cook for 300 Every Week
BINGHAMTON, NY — This week, Nechamie Silberberg, Chabad-Lubavitch representative at the University of Western Ontario will be serving somewhere between 175 to 250 ravenous college students. Down south at Emory University, Miriam Lipskier is prepping Shabbat dinner for the usual 130 guests. Rivkah Slonim of SUNY Binghamton’s will set Shabbat tables for hundreds, too. Chana Sara Danow at Leeds University in England just started; her “small crowd” is 37 guests this Friday night.
The idea of cooking for a dining room full of people, which sends U.S. homemakers into a flurry, a panic, and umpteen Google searches for “how to defrost a turkey” each November, is a weekly occurrence for the women of Chabad on Campus. Because of their popular Shabbat meals, they have mass food preparation down to a science. Lubavitch.com took a peek into these busy Chabad kitchens and took notes.
First thing Silberberg does when she begins cooking on Thursday is fill three 40-quart pots with water and sets them to boil. One will become soup, the others are for noodles and matza balls. “Water takes forever to boil,” she said.
Across the pond in Leeds, Darow plugs in two stand mixers to knead dough for nine challah loaves while she works on the cake batter. A set routine keeps the task manageable.
“It’s not the number of people to cook for, it’s the mind set,” said Lipskier. For many Chabad-on-Campus leaders, turning out Shabbat meals for hundreds week after week means avoiding the temptation to start too far in advance. The women of Chabad are busy, very busy, teaching, leading activities, counseling. They don’t have time nor do they want to spend the entire week cooking. Instead many devote Thursday nights to a binge of baking and cooking soups and sides and dressings. Main dishes and finishing touches are on Friday’s agenda.
That’s still a lot of time in front of a hot stove. Some chop away as they listen to Jewish lectures on CD. Quality time with kids and chatting students who volunteer fill the hours meaningfully for others.
Article continued (Lubavitch.com)
admirer
Chabad on campus would be nothing with out these amazing Rebetzins. Yasher Koach to all of the 100+ Chabad Rebetzins on campuses all over the world!
Kitchen Mom
I alsways said that therse radio and TV shows need to come watch one friday afternoon in a Lubavitch house or Chabad House to see that we do this every week without the panick and week ahead of preperation! Great Job shluchos!!!
Proud Lubavitcher
Forget the Chabad Houses. These people panic on Thanksgiving for what every Jewish home does every week with an average house of guests. You should here them plan their menu about a month in advance for the company of about 8 or 10. That’s a regular Lubavitch family without guests!!!!!!
Inspired
I am truly inspired by the work of these incredible Shluchos. I witnessed it first hand – the preparation and the actual Friday night dinner with 250 plus students at Chabad of Western Ontario. It is most inspiring!! Keep up the great work and all the Nachas you give.