On the morning of October 7th, on the holiday of Simchat Torah, hundreds of Israelis in the south of the country found themselves under a vicious and horrific attack by Hamas terrorists that left the country and the global Jewish community reeling. With over 1400 Israelis killed and over 200 taken hostage, Jews everywhere have been mired in grief as Israel continues to battle a difficult war.
People everywhere quickly mobilized to help the war effort, but many Jews felt helpless, wondering what they could do to help, whether materially or spiritually. Enter the challah bakes and hafrashat challah! Baking challahs can be both tasty and a powerful act. With the process of baking large quantities of dough comes the mitzvah of hafrashat challah, where a piece of the dough is separated and burned. The separation of challah is considered a very special and auspicious time and a time to offer up prayers for loved ones and whoever else may be in need of them.
In the Shabbats that have followed October 7th, Jewish women have gathered worldwide to bake challah and do hafrashat challah in honor of Israel, using this spiritually powerful event to offer their prayers for Israel, the people affected, and all the soldiers fighting to keep the Jewish state safe. The challah bakes have taken place all over the world, including communities across the United States, Canada, Europe, Israel, and Australia.
Chabad of Ventura, in Ventura County, California, was one of those communities that held a challah bake event on October 12th. It is an annual event that they hold, and this year, it had a special emphasis on praying for those in Israel. Women from the community gathered together to knead the dough, share stories of strength, and revel in the symbolism that the mitzvah of the challah can bring to them and the wider Jewish community.
Rebbetzin Sarah Latowicz shares: “It shows how powerful we are as women. And we can take this outside to see how every wife, daughter, or mother can make a difference.
It brings together so many women; in some cases, they’ve never seen challah, and they’ve never seen Shabbat. It was magical, with all the women touching the dough together. And the women cannot wait to come back and do it again. It develops the love of being a Jew and the love of Israel. It connects us all.
I do a lot of programs, but the challah sells itself. It touches your soul. We see and feel the connection that it doesn’t matter where we come from but how we are really deeply interconnected as Jewish women, like pieces of a chain. You realize it’s not just me. You’re connecting with generations of women.
We want a kinder time and a more spiritual time where you can see and feel goodness and kindness. This is from our heart, and it has touched something very deep.”
The power of challah has reached beyond traditional religious communities. In Israel, Israeli women who would typically identify as secular and non-religious have found themselves participating in Shabbat candle lightings and attending small hafrashat challah get-togethers for the first time. One of these women, Shani Ben-Israel, has found herself finding comfort and strength in these rituals since the events of October 7th, a day in which she, like many Israelis, suffered the loss of friends and extended family members. Attending a hafrashat challah gathering on the morning of October 20th, she took the time during the separation of the dough to add in prayers for her boyfriend, drafted to the reserves and serving in the north near Lebanon, as well as her brother, who was also called up to the reserves and is now based in the south.
Shani said, “This felt like it was the least I could do for people during the war, especially those at the front. To think positive thoughts about them and do some good, and to do it with my girlfriends who I love. It felt good.”
It is felt that with so many participating in the war effort – whether as soldiers called up to fight, as volunteers helping soldiers and southern residents, or doing fundraising for those in need – a little bit of extra prayer out there certainly couldn’t hurt. Every little boost in morale helps, and no prayer should be turned away right now. There is a hope that with every passing Shabbat, more light and hope can be brought into the world. May there be peaceful Shabbats to come for Israel and Jews all over the world.
Beautiful article on a most special practice performed week after week. An act that brings strong women's prayers closer to Hashem, who always listens.
Women gatherings are extremely powerful! Baking Challah is extremely meaningful! Add them together and you really are changing the world!