When hundreds of women gather to braid dough on Nov. 6, it will be about more than baking. It will be about bonding as well. “The Great Big Challah Bake St. Louis” returns that Thursday evening at the DoubleTree Hotel in Chesterfield, led by local baker and entrepreneur Giti Fredman, owner of Bagels & Bliss, St. Louis’ only certified kosher bagel shop.

The event runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and invites women and girls across generations to mix, knead and braid together. Tickets are $36 for adults and $25 for students.

From challah to bagels and back again

Fredman first led the Great Big Challah Bake St. Louis in 2022 when the idea of opening a bakery was still rising in her mind. Since then, she has launched Bagels & Bliss in University City, which has become a community favorite for its hand-rolled bagels certified kosher by the Vaad Hoeir of St. Louis.

But challah, she says, is where her story began. “There’s something sacred about baking bread for Shabbat,” Fredman says. “When we knead, we’re not just working dough. We’re connecting with each other.”

A global Shabbat with a local touch

The Great Big Challah Bake St. Louis is part of The Shabbat Project 2025, a global movement uniting Jewish communities around the world for one shared Shabbat. Participants will prepare dough, learn braiding techniques and take home challah for Shabbat.

A night to feed the soul

Fredman says baking together builds community and connection. “Every year, someone tells me this night changed their week,” she says. “It’s joyful chaos, and somehow it’s holy too.”

To join the Great Big Challah Bake St. Louis, register online in advance. Bring your mother, daughter or a friend and share the joy of making challah together.