Thursday, October 1, 2026
Just two days before Rosh Hashana, 60 women from across the Five Towns gathered on Sept. 9 at the Chabad of Hewlett’s new building on Everit Avenue for an evening of baking, reflection and Jewish unity.
The pre-Rosh Hashana challah bake brought women together to prepare the special bread while learning about the traditions and symbolism associated with the start of the High Holy Days.
Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, marks the beginning of the Jewish calendar year and is a time for reflection, prayer and looking ahead. Traditionally viewed as a day of judgment, the holiday allows celebrants to reflect on the year that has passed and consider the year to come. Families gather for festive meals featuring symbolic foods, including apples dipped in honey, representing hopes for a sweet new year.
For Rebbetzin Rivkie Tenenboim, wife of Rabbi Nochem Tenenboim of the Chabad of Hewlett, the evening was an opportunity to connect the hands-on tradition of making challah with the deeper meaning of Rosh Hashana.
“Rosh Hashana is a very, very special and holy time,” Tenenboim said. “Rosh Hashana is the day of judgment, and it is also the day that we reflect.”
She encouraged participants to use the holiday as a time to look back at the previous year and consider their actions, accomplishments and goals for the year ahead.
Tenenboim also spoke about the symbolism of foods traditionally eaten during Rosh Hashana. She said the challah itself carries special meaning during the holiday. Unlike the braided loaves commonly served throughout the year, Rosh Hashana challah is traditionally made round, symbolizing the cycle of the year and continuity.
“The circle has no beginning and no end,” Tenenboim explained, describing the round challah. “It represents the continuity from year to year, and our hope that we continue to grow, achieve and move forward.
“We ask Hashem [God] that our year should continue, continue, continue from this year, next year, next year,” she added.
For some participants, the evening also served as an introduction to Chabad of Hewlett.
Nicole Sigal, a Lawrence resident, attended with her mother and described the event as part of what she called a personal “reinvention” as she enters the Jewish New Year.
“I wanted to do something different,” Sigal said. “I decided to take my mom with me to create a challah bake.”
Sigal said she did not grow up with the tradition but appreciated having the opportunity to participate in it in a welcoming environment.
“I think it’s very essential for someone like myself,” she said. “I was not raised religious by any means.”
She said Chabad offers a space where people can explore their Jewish traditions and spirituality while maintaining their own individual experiences and backgrounds.
“I think that’s what Chabad does in a very beautiful, unique way,” Sigal said.
For Sigal, the evening was about more than baking. It was an opportunity to reflect before Rosh Hashana and connect with others in the community.
“It’s about community, really coming together,” she said.
Laura Rosenberg, a Hewlett resident who has been involved with the Chabad of Hewlett for 10 years, said supporting the Jewish community felt particularly meaningful at a time when antisemitism remains a concern.
“I think it’s very special, in today’s age, to support the Jewish community because of all the antisemitism,” Rosenberg said.
She said the timing of the event, just before Rosh Hashana, made it an especially meaningful way to bring people together and reconnect with Jewish traditions.
“This is a very special community,” Rosenberg said. “I think it’s important to stick together in today’s environment.”
Rosenberg also praised Tenenboim and the Chabad community for creating an environment in which people feel welcome regardless of their level of religious observance.
“They’re very accepting,” she said of the Chabad. “You don’t have to be a certain way. You don’t have to dress a certain way. They’re very accepting of everyone.”
As participants mixed ingredients, shaped their dough and prepared their challahs, the evening provided a tangible way to welcome the Jewish New Year — combining a centuries-old tradition with an opportunity for neighbors to gather, reflect and look ahead.
“It was such a cute event,” Sigal said. “It was really nice to do something different with my mother and to be surrounded by so many women coming together for such a beautiful mitzvah” -- — a good deed.
