Over 170 very excited and eager Yeshiva Har Torah first and second graders gathered for the first-ever YHT Challah Bake one Thursday night in December. As part of a school-wide “Shabbat Across YHT,” students made the dough with their teachers, and then made challah covers while they waited for the dough to rise and guests to arrive. Later, students returned with their guests to roll, braid, and decorate their very own challos for Shabbos.
Rabbi Gary Menchel, Rosh HaYeshiva at YHT, noted a strong sense of achdus at the event. “This was a wonderful addition to our “Shabbat Across YHT” programming, as we celebrated the beauty of Shabbat. Any time you can have a great, age-appropriate activity for children that also brings together our families and touches on a shared tradition, it’s a no-brainer.”
The room was filled with excitement (and just a bit of stray flour) to fulfill the mitzvah of hafrashas challah. Ms. Pesha Kletenik, Principal of YHT, explained that students across grades participated in “Shabbat Across YHT” through a number of special activities. “Grades 3-5 had parent-child learning on Motza’ei Shabbos sponsored by the PTA, and many of our students had an in-class Shabbos meal project showcasing the different foods they eat from their respective cultures, as part of the school’s yearlong ‘Better Together’ midos theme.”
