For nearly 20 years, Chanala Rubenfeld, co-director of Chabad of Chesterfield, has been sharing her expertise in challah making through her Loaves of Love workshops. Now, she’s baking “Challah for Israel.”
“The needs for Israel are great, so we are on a mission to raise funds by selling traditional Jewish challah,” said Rubenfeld. “All of the money raised will benefit Israel’s dedicated IDF soldiers.”
On the menu, Rubenfeld offers a variety of flavors such as plain, everything bagel, sesame seed and sweet crumble.
“This new initiative is a way to connect our community to Israel in a delicious, delicious, practical and tangible way,” said Rubenfeld.
How to order
To secure your order, be sure to place it before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 21. Pick-up will be on Thursday, Feb. 22, between 6-8 p.m. at Chabad of Chesterfield’s temporary location in the Chesterfield Mall. Pre-ordering is essential. Prices are set at $12 for one challah or $20 for two. Click here to order online.
“We believe in the power of community and the significance of backing our soldiers, who make immense sacrifices for Israel’s safety. By selling challah, we aspire not only to raise funds but also to cultivate unity and a shared purpose among our community,” said Rubenfeld.
Challah for Israel is a joint project of Chabad of Chesterfield and The Jewish Cooking Academy.
Love of challah
Rubenfeld’s love for making and sharing challah with others is at the heart of Chabad of Chesterifeld’s Loaves of Love workshops started more than 18 years ago when she moved back to St. Louis with her husband, Rabbi Avi Rubenfeld, and 1-year-old son, Mendel. As a new mom, she wanted to recreate her childhood memories of the Friday afternoon aroma of freshly baked challah that her mother, Shiffy Landa, co-director of Chabad of Greater St. Louis, used to make every week.
The challenge was that the recipe that her mom used called for a 5-pound bag of flour. That made six challahs, which was way more than her small family could eat. So, every week she would share her challahs with new neighbors and friends. Before long she began to receive several requests to share her techniques and tips of how to make challah. And that is how the Loaves of Love workshops came to be.
“To me, food is a way to connect Jewishly. I make a lot of Jewish foods because it feels powerful to use food as a means to connect to my grandparents, great grandparents and to my Jewish identity,” Rubenfeld explained. “It makes me so happy to be able to share that with others and encourage them to connect, explore and taste their Jewish heritage as well.”
