Mega Challah Bake unites women in Lakewood Ranch

Lakewood Ranch’s Barbara Dolin decided not to braid her challah but rather make a pull-apart type that can be easily shared with others.

She took the dough she created and divided it into at least a dozen small balls that she put close together in her pan. She then added toppings like sesame seeds and poppy seeds.  

Dolin has spent years making her own challah and even spent the pandemic replicating the challah of her grandmother, Rose Shoenthal. 

Dolin was able to share her knowledge and experience of baking challah with a table of six women during the fourth annual Mega Challah Bake at the Grove Jan. 13. 

“It’s a wonderful experience sharing what I know and watching someone do it,” Dolin said. “It’s a spiritual connection. We’re not just making bread.”

About 115 women came together to make challah during the Mega Challah Bake.

“The challah is a special mitzvah, it’s a good deed,” said Chanie Bukiet, the director of the Jewish Women’s Circle, which hosts the baking event. “We set it aside because it’s symbolic of when we make food for ourselves, it’s not only about us, we’re setting aside some for others. It’s all about sharing and caring.”

Bukiet said her challah started coming out better when she started making it for others.

“I know it sounds crazy, but I used to make my own and I was scared every week of how it was going to come out,” Bukiet said. “Then I started making 10 pounds every week during COVID, giving it out to different people and it came out better. There’s a blessing in the dough when you make it for others.”

Every time Lakewood Ranch’s Linda Goldberg has attended the Mega Challah Bake, her challah has improved. 

The first time she attended four years ago, Goldberg said her challah was hard but delicious. 

The next year, it came out a little better. 

“I keep coming back hoping each time it’ll get better,” Goldberg said. 

Goldberg brought two friends, Lakewood Ranch’s Lisa Shinefeld and Beth Ann Frack, to this year’s Mega Challah Bake at the Grove Jan. 13. 

Frack has made dutch bread in the past and Shinefeld has made challah french toast using already baked challah, but neither had experience making their own challah before. 

“(The Mega Challah Bake) is an amazing experience,” Goldberg said. 

Besides learning how to make challah, participants, like Frack, were excited to meet and gather with other Jewish women, learn more about Jewish customs and traditions and more.

While their challah was rising in their bowls, singer Simone Roitman had everyone dancing around the ballroom while she performed. 

Lakewood Ranch’s Shelly Glenn held hands with Bradenton’s Davi Appel and Lakewood Ranch’s Melissa Howard to add to the chain of women dancing in line snaking their way around the tables. 

Bukiet loved seeing everyone get up from their tables to dance and sing along. 

Bukiet said the Mega Challah Bake not only was a time to bake challah but to honor women of valor. 

“A Jewish woman has the power to influence her home in such amazing ways,” Bukiet said. “This mitzvah speaks to her and to her mission so much of being the primary nurturer, the primary influencer. Not only is it about her sharing and caring but her raising a household of children to give and care about others.”

Each woman was able to put her own twist on the challah she made whether it was adding a topping, such as poppy seeds, sesame seeds, garlic, onion or chocolate chips, or braiding her challah in a different way. 

Some women chose to use three strands to braid their challah while others used four or six strands. Other women decided not to braid their challah. Instead they chose to make rolls or a pull-apart loaf. 

Bukiet couldn’t wait to see how everyone’s challahs came out when they went home, baked the challah and posted their creations on Facebook.