Dough rising over the sands of Atlantic Beach

More than 1,000 Jewish women — Orthodox to unaffiliated — from the Five Towns and other communities gathered to bake challah bread at the Sands Atlantic Beach on Oct. 23.
The challah bake was part of the larger Shabbos Project; a Jewish identity movement that unites Jews around the world to keep one full Shabbat, a religious day of rest, together. It originated last year in South Africa, where the majority of its diverse Jewish community came together to observe a single Shabbat.
The international Shabbos Project was on Oct. 24 and 25. More than 212 cities and 33 countries around the globe participated. The goals of the bake and project are allowing people to experience the magic of Shabbat at least once, rejuvenate family and community life, restore Jewish pride and identity, and build Jewish unity across the world.