Over 100 Jewish women in Rockville Centre participate in Project Inspire Long Island's Challah Bake

Jewish women from all over Long Island gathered at Congregation B’nai Sholom-Beth David in Rockville Centre on Sunday to participate in the Project Inspire Long Island Challah Bake.

Giti Fredman from “Just Bake It,” a series of baking workshops designed to educate and entertain participants, came to Congregation B’nai Sholom-Beth David in Rockville Centre to lead the bake-off.

She supplied the recipe and individual tools needed to create challah in a fun and creative way and even played songs representing each ingredient as participants added each one into their mixing bowls.

Mitchell Barnett from Project Inspire was also in attendance to discuss unity and involvement and suggested ways to help out Israeli brethren following the attacks on October 7. While the dough was rising, members of the group joined together to pray for the IDF soldiers and for those in captivity to return home safe and unharmed.

Barnett also shared a new initiative called, “Just One Thing,” where you sign up and receive an email back with an IDF soldier’s name, along with a selection of “mitzvah” —or good deeds—that can be done in their merit for 30 days.

Options included lighting Shabbat candles, choosing kindness daily, committing to a Shabbat once a month, and reciting the bedtime “Shema,” an evening prayer that asks for peace and protection.

“Baking with 120 Jewish women of all backgrounds, singing Jewish songs, holding hands and honoring our Israeli brothers and sisters was very powerful,” Lauren Moss, a Rockville Centre resident and an ambassador for Project Inspire, said. “We made memories together and showed strength during this difficult time for our people.”

After the dough was prepared, the women were instructed to bake it at home so their families could experience the magical aroma of the bread. Several participants also posted photos of the group to show off the beautiful loaves to others.

Moss said she selected the bedtime prayer and has been praying for the safe return of Omer Ben Orna, a boy taken hostage from Long Island, and soldiers Alexander Yohonodav Ben Leonie, a young tank driver, and Uriel Ben Esther. She has also promised to always show kindness to others in merit of Gershon Ben Sara Leah.

“We are so overwhelmed and feel helpless yet it’s also a wonderful time for the Jewish people who are uniting,” Moss said. “This global campaign ‘Pray and Say’ is strengthening us.”

Nancy Hochauser, president of B’nai Sholom, separated a small piece referred to as “taking challah,” because whatever we are given is not for our use alone. The mitzvah of separating challah applies to every Jewish man or woman, however, it’s traditionally one of the special mitzvahs entrusted to the Jewish women to uplift and sanctify mundane activities and nourish her family physically and spiritually.

During the event mothers and daughters enjoyed baking challah together for the first time, including Debbie Franco of Rockville and her mother, Meryl, and Teri Karpe and her daughter, Sari, of Commack, and Donna Wexler and her daughter, Sari, of Merrick. 

To learn more about the campaign for IDF soldiers, visit JustOneThing.org, and for more about Giti Fredman and the challah-baking workshop, visit JustBakeIt.org.