Mega-Challah event fulfills 'knead' for the elderly and unites community

Last October, local Chabads hosted a Mega-Challah Bake, re-introducing the joy of challah-making and uniting over 200 Jewish women of all backgrounds. This year the Challah Bake is expanding its impact with Loaves of Love, which joins the Chabad community with the Jewish Pavilion and Kinneret. Loaves of Love intertwines three Jewish agencies and their supporters, much like the three (some use six) strands of dough coming from different directions that are braided together to form a beautiful and unified challah. The Loaves of Love created on that night will benefit elders in the community, who will receive a hand-made challah from each participant, as well as a Shabbat visit. Delivery and visitation will be coordinated by the Jewish Pavilion and Kinneret.

Loaves of Love will take place on Thursday, Oct. 22, allowing the challahs to be delivered to the elderly on Friday, Oct. 23 for Shabbat. The love will be spread between two venues in locations on the north and south end of town to greater serve the entire community, with the events held at The Venue on the Lake-Maitland Civic Center and the Rosen JCC, respectively.

As an event partner, The Rosen JCC is hosting the south location for no charge. The two sites will be linked together through live hookup on screens, which will be interactive between the two locations.

Challah Bake participant and active grandmother, Sara Danziger, called last year’s event “a gathering with a purpose,” where hundreds of women learned the art of challah-making, and spent time as a community of sisters. This year more than 600 are expected from the combined supporters of each agency. The recipe for success combines a multigenerational mix of women from all Jewish affiliations coming together, with a common interest; to celebrate Judaism, tradition, and to honor and include their elders.

Each woman will make two loaves of dough at this year’s event, performing the age-old Jewish tradition which is a unique mitzvah to women. The challah will be baked at home. Each woman will keep one loaf for herself and pass along the second loaf to an elderly person or friend as an act of love and kindness, demonstrating their commitment to elders and to The Jewish Pavilion.

“The impact of such a “doughy” event is both measurable and immeasurable,” noted Chanshy Majesky of Chabad of North Orlando. “Mega-Challah Bakes have united women across the globe. Thousands of Jewish women, both affiliated and unaffiliated , have attended events tying the participants to their neighbors as well as women around the world with this shared experience. Additionally, Loaves of Love-Orlando involves the collaboration of three agencies coming together and performing a mitzvot on behalf of the elderly, who are often under-visited and underserved,” Majesky said.

Loaves of Love is open to women 12 to 120, and will touch every generation. Seniors are encouraged to attend, with a grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando providing transportation for Kinneret residents. Additional seniors will attend with the help of The Jewish Pavilion.

Majesky concluded, “The mitzvot of delivering a challah to a senior will open the doors of assisted living and nursing homes to those who have never been, braiding participants together like strands of a challah uniting a community and fulfilling a ‘knead.’”

The program is sponsored in part by the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando.

The joint Chabad, Kinneret and Jewish Pavilion Mega-Challah Bake will take place at The Venue on the Lake-Maitland Civic Center and the Rosen JCC, on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. The cost is $18. More information or to register for the Mega-Challah Event, please call 407-488-6536 or visit http://www.MegaChallahEvent.com