Making challah with my hands and then sharing the product with someone is a gift unto itself. I call it “Challah Diplomacy”. Sometimes challah diplomacy requires a bit of divine intervention…or at least a thoughtful Uber driver, to make it happen!

I woke up early Friday morning at home to make a double batch of challah specifically to take with us. I made it in the merit of those that I would be gifting it to. Since we were driving, it would be easy to transport the challah with us.

Moving a fig tree from a pot into the ground in the garden reminded me of so many life lessons.

You never know what will resonate with others, right. Sometimes if we’re lucky, we later learn that someone heard something that we said and actually took to heart.

Rituals are powerful in and of themselves. However, the power of a ritual can be further enhanced by elevating an ordinary ritual and making it extraordinary.

I had never made bread before, and therefore didn’t appreciate how wonderful it is to get your hands sticky in a bowl of dough. It’s therapeutic, in fact.

Making challah has transformed me. I had not anticipated that it would transform others as well. People like Karen.

Check out my conversation on Soul Food Salon’s Wellness on the Weekends this week, where we talk all things ritual!

I went to share the story of Braided with an elderly group, and instead found myself the recipient of their stories. What a gift to receive!

Three challah hacks that I’ve learned from making challah with friends and strangers alike as I travel across the country to share my book and story: