Six young women from Rio de Janeiro—Maria Antonia Klabin, Gabriela Klabin, Beatriz Binenbojm, Helena Klabin Salles, Sofia Rymer, and Alice Sayão—came together to found Empower Her Judaism, a social project dedicated to amplifying the voices and rights of Jewish women. Driven by a commitment to their heritage and women’s rights, these founders seek to create a supportive network that fosters education, community engagement, and cultural celebration.
They recently hosted a unique workshop to preserve Jewish culture and foster community connections. This hands-on event taught participants how to make challah, the traditional braided bread integral to Jewish rituals. As the workshop participants were taught, Challah is braided in four or seven strands, symbolizing the intertwining of faith, family, and history. Challah is also central to the Shabbat meal, a weekly celebration from Friday evening to Saturday evening, and other significant holidays.
During the workshop, participants learned the step-by-step process of baking challah, from kneading the dough to braiding and baking it to golden perfection. The following is the recipe they followed:
Challah Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 packet of active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup oil
- 3 cups flour
- Additional 1/4 cup flour
Instructions:
- Combine warm water, yeast, sugar, salt, and oil in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
- Gradually add the 3 cups of flour, stirring until you form a dough.
- Place the dough in a sealed container in contact with warm water for 30 minutes to rise.
- After 30 minutes, add 1/4 cup of flour to the dough and mix again.
- Cover the container and let the dough rest outside the water for 1 hour, allowing it to rise further.
Your challah dough is now ready for braiding and baking!The workshop exemplified Empower Her Judaism’s broader goal: to promote the voices and rights of Jewish women by celebrating their contributions to culture and community. By teaching participants to make challah, the founders created a space for connection and conversation, inviting women to explore their heritage and find inspiration in one another’s stories.
