Five Towns women unite in faith and baking to support Israel and IDF Soldiers

Blending their love for Israel with the making of the traditional Jewish challah, over 200 Five Towns women gathered in the Chabad of the Five Towns grand tent on Oct. 16.

In less than a week, the Chabad organized the “Mega Challah Bake’’ to bring together Jewish women, including mother who have children serving in the Israeli Defense Forces, to muster spiritual protection for those in the Jewish state, affected by the recent conflict.

“This was done very last minute, the heads of the Chabad, they can do this in their sleep,” Aviva Schecter, a Chabad volunteer said.

Attendees were offered soup, snacks and a bowl filled with supplies to make challah to bring home to their families to show support for Israel from afar.

“Our soldiers are day and night, fighting for the peace in the region, in the area, in the country, and this is what we can do,” attendee Robyn Rottenberg said. “We are our own soldiers here in the United States.

Rebbetzin Chanie Wolowik led the event.

“Women from all over the Five Towns, each of us from diverse backgrounds, different neighborhoods, social affiliations, it’s an evening of unity when we all put differences aside and gather in friendship and in faith,” said Wolowik, who is married to the Chabads’s director, Rabbi Zalman Wolowik.

Shaindel Antelis-Schorr, a Jewish singer-songwriter and Five Towns resident, sang as the women prepared the challah.

Seven mothers, whose children are serving in the IDF, led the women in adding ingredients to their bowl.

“The whole beauty of the challah is that each ingredient symbolizes something else and it really brings you together,” Schecter said. “There’s a lot of blessings that come from doing the challah, and when you make a five pound bag, that’s when you can make a special blessing on the dough. People I know that didn’t have children, that have sickness, they do this and it really brings the energy in their life of so much positivity and it really makes shifts in the world.”

Blimi Chesir, whose son is in the IDF, was grateful to be a part of the event.

“The support of the community means so much,” Chesir said. “It means so much to us as parents, it means so much to my son there knowing that we’re praying for him.”

Bryna Falum, whose daughter and son-in-law are also serving in the IDF, also attended.

“My daughter came to Chabad as a kid, she did their bat mitzvah program,” Falum said.

Falum’s friend Esther Makowsky also attended to support the women and Israel.

“I don’t even know half the women here, but they all live in the neighborhood, we are all in the same community, and we’re all part of the Jewish people.” Makowsky said. “Everybody wants to do something and there’s not really much that we can do, so we feel like this is our way of praying for everybody.”

Shterna Ginsberg, author of “Your Awesome Self,” an empowerment book, closed the event, followed by blessing the challah. Ginsberg directed the audience on navigating through a challenging period and supporting Israel.

“The energy in this room is electric, it’s beautiful, it’s inviting and it’s for sure sending positive vibes to our brothers and sisters in Israel,” Ginsberg said.