Challah in the shape of a bird for Yom Kippur, a symbol of the sins “flying away,” or for Sukkos based on Yeshayahu (Isaiah). “…as hovering birds, so will the Lord of hosts shield Jerusalem.Īfter Titus’ Roman legions destroyed the second temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE, and the priests could no longer officiate, the rabbis decreed that the priestly portion had still to be taken from the dough in order to keep the memory of this holy obligation alive. How they really looked is the object of interesting and long discussions in the Talmud. However, they were nothing like what we know as challah today. It was meant for their sustenance, “in order that the priests, who are always occupied with Divine service, should live without any exertion,” (Sefer ha-Hinnukh, no. These donated portions, each about the size of an olive, had to be handed over in the form of loaves befitting the status of a priest. (Map as exhibited at the Museum Judenplatz, the Jewish Museum at Vienna’s Judenplatz, which is showcasing medieval Jewish life in Vienna, fronted by a monumental Holocaust Memorial.)Ī couple of hundred years earlier, before Christian persecution of the Jews, when the temple in Jerusalem was still standing, the word “challah” exclusively referred to the portion of a bread or dough donated, to the Kohanim (priests), from every dough that was prepared as described in the Book of Numbers 15:18-20. The site of modern-day Vienna marked in German “Wien” as one of the important Jewish settlements of the 4th century in the area of the Roman Empire. Thus, there were already Jews on the site of modern-day Vienna before the city existed officially, or at least since the late Roman Empire, when Jews made up a sizeable portion of its population. This “ archeological sensation,” as it was called in the headlines, remains the earliest trace of Jewish inhabitants in present-day Austria. In 2008, a third-century amulet inscribed with the central Jewish prayer Shema Yisrael was discovered in a Roman child’s grave in a burial ground near Vienna. What’s particular about the Jewish tradition and where’s the strong connection to Vienna? Let’s start at the beginning. (Water challos is German with a distinct sourdough flavor and added potatoes to help the action of the yeast.) Bacon and egg salad sandwich as found in Tel Aviv made with very frum, (Yiddish for pious) challah from Bnei Brak’s famous Vizhnitz bakery. Traditional challah recipes use oil instead of butter and milk, and add eggs. This is to confrom to Jewish religious laws, which do not allow the mixing of dairy and meat. The main difference between the gentile and the Jewish version is the absence of dairy products in the latter. ![]() Most of these rather sweet, yeasty, and egg-rich delicacies are eaten on Sundays and holidays with butter, honey, and jam. In German-speaking regions like Vienna, there’s even a so-called Zopf, which is German for “braided hair.” And don’t even start with the French about their wonderful brioche! ![]() In Vienna, as in many other parts of Central and Eastern Europe, the locals claim their own local bread, presenting their own version of traditional braided bread as shtritsls, kalacs, and what-not. Here’s my wife pulling the soft, long strands of our classic, simple challah recipe!īraided, egg-enriched bread is made in many other European cuisines. ![]() Though it incorporates special covers, boards, trays, tins, cookbooks and (sometimes) knives, making challah is about more than just “things ” perhaps more importantly, it’s about prayers, initiation rituals, recipes and secrets.Ĭhallah is omnipresent in Israel and in the Jewish diaspora, especially in the United States where, in many places, it’s a deli and supermarket staple, be it in the form of the ultimate French toast or even in a kugel, a Jewish baked pudding. The special treat has a rich history behind it, so let’s get some definitions and historical facts straight before we create and enjoy our beautiful challah.Īs one of the most iconic of all Jewish foods, challah is assuredly more ritual than recipe. This is your traditional can’t-get-enough, soft, tearing-long-strands, perfectly sweet, Bubbe’s-childhood-memory-evoking deliciousness! The best challah recipe you’ll ever taste!
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