Shabbat Sharing and Bread Braiding Enlighten 1st Grade

First grade students learned about Shabbat and how to braid challah bread in a recent classroom experience.

As part of the Central Topic studies focusing on families and cultural traditions, 1st grade teacher Lindsey Kurek invites parents and guardians to visit her classroom and share information about observances of note in their households. These family shares have been successful in helping her students better understand cultures different from their own, including observance of Ramadan, Lunar New Year, Diwali and more.

To better acquaint students with the Jewish celebration of Shabbat, Kurek invited parents and guardians to class. Using a presentation, a children’s story and personal anecdotes, parent/guardian presenters explained that Shabbat happens every week, from Friday evening to Saturday evening. Shabbat is a special time for Jewish people to rest, be with family and give thanks for the wonderful things in life. During Shabbat, the family lights two candles, which symbolize bringing peace into the home. Those who observe Shabbat eat special bread called challah with their dinner, paired with grape juice or wine, and speak several prayers of gratitude aloud at the table before eating. Following Shabbat, families take a break from screens and participate in an activity together—they might go for a walk or play a board game. Parent/guardian presenters emphasized that Shabbat is special because it allows families to slow down, relax and be grateful for each other. One can say “Shabbat Shalom” to wish another person a peaceful Shabbat. 

Following their in-class learning, students visited the cafeteria, where Foodservice Director Zac Maness led a session on braiding challah bread. Some students already knew how to braid, while others figured it out for the first time at this gathering. When students were done, Chef Zac collected the braided loaves, baked them and delivered them to the students near the end of the school day. Each student went home with their own hand-braided loaf of fresh challah and a better understanding of the significance of the Sabbath observance.

Check out photos from this experience here.