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<\/a>\u201cThis is so darn much fun. I know how to make challah but I wouldn\u2019t miss this for anything,\u201d said 81-year-old Sue Braun.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fun. We like to eat it so I thought we should come and learn how to make it,\u201d said Candace Ginn.<\/p>\n
Other venues hosting the challah bake included the Beth Jacob Synagogue in the College Area where 300 women and girls participated and the San Diego Jewish Academy in North County, where 2,000 people prepared challah. Participants mixed the ingredients, kneaded the dough, and formed them into strands to braid.<\/p>\n
The program was partially funded\u00a0by the Mizel Family Foundation.Other major sponsors included Leichtag Foundation, San Diego Private Bank, South African Jewish American Community, Isakow Foundation, Westfields, The Jewish Federation of San Diego County, Sunroad Automotive, Gerber Goldschmidt\/Ellman Family, Northwestern Mutual, The Frank and Lee Goldberg Foundation, Klein Family and the Jewish Community Foundation. There were an additional 26 generous patrons and many more contributors.<\/p>\n
The cost was $5 per person or $18 per family.<\/p>\n
\u201c[There is] no requirement of observance or knowledge to make the challah,\u201d said Shabbat San Diego\u00a0cofounder, Selwyn Isakow. \u201cWhat\u2019s amazing to me is the level of spirituality and enthusiasm created just by people coming together to perform a tradition.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a time when everybody comes together. [Shabbat San Diego] is for everybody who has an interest in Judaism.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shabbat refers to the Jewish Sabbath from sundown Friday to Saturday night. It is a sacred day of rest to unplug from cell phones, social media and work to reconnect with relationships.<\/p>\n
Challah is a traditional Jewish braided bread for Shabbat and special occasions. It is made from sugar, salt, water, eggs, dry yeast, oil and flour.<\/p>\n
\u201cShabbat Can Do That\u201d was this year\u2019s theme, to encourage all Jewish people to celebrate the Sabbath by participating in Jewish community events \u2014 challah-making, Sabbath meals, prayer services and a concert.<\/p>\n
Isakow mentioned that when Rabbi Warren Goldstein started the Shabbat program in South Africa three years ago, it drew 50,000 members of the Jewish population of 75,000.<\/p>\n
One year later, Isakow and event cofounder, Robyn Lichter introduced the idea of a community Sabbath celebration. In eight weeks, they met and created the first Shabbat San Diego, drawing 10,000 people \u2014 one of the world\u2019s largest events.<\/p>\n
That same year, 350 cities joined. San Diego staff sponsored the city of Baltimore. Their attendance was 250 in 2014, but skyrocketed to 25,000 in 2015, even surpassing San Diego\u2019s attendance of 15,000.<\/p>\n
The Shabbat Project is celebrated in 1,150 cities and more than 90 countries, including Pakistan and Tanzania, in ten languages.<\/p>\n