Unity through baking challah

Our children are our future. As they step into, and create the future, we hope that they bring with them the Torah and Jewish traditions of the past. On Sunday, Feb. 5th, all Jewish children in Orlando were invited to bake Challah at a Kids Mega Challah baking event. The event imbued within them a sense of Jewish pride and unity. Jewish children were able to learn about the Torah commandment of separating Challah, and had a great time while doing so, thereby realizing that Judaism is fun and livable; it extends far beyond the synagogue.

Sunday's Challah bake was also about uniting Jewish children from a variety of Jewish affiliations regardless of religious observance or labels. Organizers of the event, Chani Konikov and Sharon Skolnik, created the event in order to promote such unity within the Jewish community. As participants on Sunday neared one hundred, that unity could certainly be felt. Aside from making Challah, the children and their families were treated to an interactive puppet show and concert by Laurel Barr, and made their very own Challah cover.

When the program was over, families went home with pans of ready to bake Challah, and a look on their face that showed they felt proud and lucky. Not just because of the delicious Challah they were about to eat, but because they were part of a religion that belonged to the past, present and future, and these children would certainly carry it on.