Rosh Hashana is next month so what better way to usher in the Jewish New Year before September than with the sweetness of challah bread?
People of all ages took part in the art of challah bread making on a Sunday morning in Glencoe at the Glencoe Family Challah Bake at Takiff Center at 999 Green Bay Road on Aug. 27.
The Chabad of Glencoe event celebrated what was promoted as a “loaves of fun” learning opportunity to gather as a community to make bread for an hour and learn about the dough making process and tradition.
Deena Wolberg of Glencoe, coordinated the event in partnership with spouse and Rabbi Sholom Wolberg of Glencoe, founder of Chabad of Glencoe. The Wolbergs are the parents of four young children.
“I think children are like little seeds,” Deena Wolberg said. “Everything affects them so much. When there’s a little sapling in the ground, any wind or anything affects it so much more than a giant tree.
“When children are young,” Wolberg added, “that’s the time to really imbue them with the values that you care about and so we want to imbue them with Judaism.”
Rabbi Wolberg said, nothing makes parents happier than their children getting to learn all together.
“Seeing their children together, it just brings them joy and puts a smile on their faces and really makes it all worthwhile,” the rabbi said.
For Rosh Hashana, “We are about to approach our Father in heaven as we begin a new year and we want to ask God to give us a great new year.
“The best way to come to Him, to come to God, is when we’re together,” Sholom Wolberg added. “Whether it’s something as cultural as baking challah, or as spiritual as prayer, we always make sure to do it together, especially in preparation for the New Year.”
Families could sign up for the paid event. There were treats and children could make a personalized jar to keep honey. Shana Tova cards, for a good New Year, were signed by attendees to send to Israel Defense Forces currently serving soldiers in Israel.
“It makes us feel so grateful for the service that they (IDF) do year round, sacrificing their lives to protect their brothers and sisters in our homeland, our Holy Land of Israel,” Rabbi Wolberg said about the cards being sent.
Each seat in the room had its own bowl and ingredients to make challah. Grandparent Renee Cohen of Glencoe and grandchild Jake Sullivan, 5, a kindergartner from Glencoe, sat next to each other.
“He loves challah so much,” Cohen said about Jake, who prefers to eat the bread plain. Some people like to dip challah in honey or other dipping sauce favorites.
Cohen typically purchases challah from a favorite bakery but said during the COVID-19 pandemic, she baked the bread daily.
“I love him (Jake) so much and the holidays are very important to us,” Cohen added. “We have challah every Friday night and it’s something that’s important to us. It’s part of our religion and culture.”
Plus, “I’m having a blast,” Cohen said about the experience with Jake.
Ellie Fishman of Glencoe — the parent of sons AJ, 2, and Jax, 4 — helped the boys with ingredients such as eggs, sugar, yeast, flour, salt and water.
Fishman hoped the siblings would get into the Rosh Hashana and the High Holiday spirit, saying the young boys are just starting to learn Jewish traditions.
“So by coming here, we’re kind of surrounded by the community and it’s great for them to kind of start learning and getting into that spirit,” the boys’ mother added.
Glencoe parent Meron Winkler accompanied daughter Liora Winkler, 4, a preschooler, at the event held in an upstairs community room at the Takiff Center.
“Sounds like a great one,” Liora’s father said about the opportunity to make family holiday memories. “We’re so excited to do a challah bake.”
Father and daughter like their challah, “Just as is, like it as is,” Meron Winkler said with a smile, but, “maybe some butter.”
Above all, as the yeast was poised to rise the warm challah dough in bowls, Liora’s father said about family, “Hoping for a happy and healthy New Year for everybody.”
Souvenir recipe cards were also distributed. Here is the Family Challah Bake Challah Recipe.
One package of quick rise yeast (2 and 1/4 teaspoons)
1 and 1/3 cups of warm water
1/3 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of salt
One egg
1/3 cup of oil
One pound (or 3 and 1/3 cups) of flour
Combine the first three ingredients and let stand for a few minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and knead. Allow challah to rise for 35 minutes then braid. Allow braided or circle loaves to rise for an additional 30 minutes and then bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. You can add toppings too before baking or dip after in favorite sauces such as chocolate or honey.
Learn more about Chabad Glencoe at https://www.jewishglencoe.com.
