Each week, Jews all over the world read a portion of the Torah, advancing through the stories like an episodic TV show. And each week, Julie Seltzer, a Torah scribe and Jewish educator, bakes a challah in a different shape–inspired by the Torah portion of the week.
Sometimes the creative bread is funny, like the red heifer (with a sword protruding from its neck) that Seltzer baked for Parashat Hukkat. Sometimes her challah illustrates a minor part of a bigger story, like a doorway (served with a dish of beet juice) to remember when the Israelites painted blood across their doors to stop the Angel of Death from entering. And sometimes Seltzer’s challah is downright outrageous, such as a woman giving birth, which corresponds to the part of the Torah that discusses childbirth.
You can use these ideas in conjunction with a challah recipe to make your own weekly Torah re-enactment at the table. Or you can just check out these photos of her work and let your eyes do the tasting.
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