USA
A 35-foot challah in NYC aims to beat Guinness World Record
The lengthy loaf, made in collaboration by Jewish organisations as part of a Shabbat initiative, could break the 2019 record
January 24, 2024 13:23
The lengthy loaf, made in collaboration by Jewish organisations as part of a Shabbat initiative, could break the 2019 record
January 24, 2024 13:23A 35-foot-long challah loaf unveiled in New York City on Friday is in the running to break a Guinness World Record.
Upper West Side Congregation Rodeph Sholom organised the gargantuan bake in collaboration with the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and the Orthodox Union, aiming to beat the current world record for longest challah: a 32-foot loaf baked by Grandma Moses Bakery and the Jewish National Fund chapter in New South Wales, Australia in 2019.
A baker braids part of the dough at Strauss Bakery in Borough Park. (JFNA/Vladimir Kolesnikov)[Missing Credit]
The challah, which measured 35 feet, 2 inches and weighed over 200 pounds raw, was braided at Strauss Bakery in Brooklyn and then loaded onto a truck to be baked in a kosher commercial kitchen in New Jersey, the only one in the New York area with an oven that could fit such a lengthy loaf. From there, it was transported back to Manhattan, where dozens of volunteers were required to help unload it.
A team assembles the challahs at Strauss Bakery. (JFNA/Vladimir Kolesnikov)[Missing Credit]
Sarah Eisenman, chief officer of community and Jewish life at JFNA, spearheaded the endeavour as part of a JFNA initiative called Shabbat of Love, for which over 250 organisations partnered to help Jews organise and host thousands of Shabbat dinners across North America on 19 January.
