Anat Ishai, aka Challah Mom, energizes the crowd at Beth Israel Synagogue June 13, at an event spearheaded by National Council of Jewish Women of Canada, Vancouver chapter. (photo from NCJWC Vancouver)<\/i><\/p>\n
Anat Ishai swept into the hall at Beth Israel Synagogue the night of May 13 in a twirl of silver, dancing exuberantly as Israeli music played loudly on speakers. The room, filled with 300 Jewish women and children of all ages, exploded with sound and energy as Ishai enticed onlookers onto the dance floor.<\/p>\n
Ishai, known on social media as \u201cChallah Mom,\u201d was in town at the invitation of the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada\u2019s Vancouver chapter. Attendees gathered around tables to bake challah using Ishai\u2019s recipe, to reflect on the meaning of challah-making and to hear her story.<\/p>\n
Ishai describes herself as a digital content creator and blogger who \u201cshares her Jewish life through challah, dance, hair-wrapping tutorials, Israel and Jewish wisdom.\u201d Born in Israel to Russian-Israeli parents, she grew up in a secular home and the family moved to Toronto when she was 5 years old.<\/p>\n
Ishai \u2013 who is now married and has kids \u2013 started the Challah Mom social media account during the COVID lockdown. It was an attempt to find happiness during a sad time, she said. To date, Challah Mom has a global platform with 300,000 followers across Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.<\/p>\n
Ishai and her family made aliyah in September 2023, but she flies all over the world for Challah Mom events in different Jewish communities. In May alone, she appeared in Toronto, Winnipeg, Washington, DC, and Vancouver.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI allow my Challah Mom community to enter my world and to see Judaism and Israel through my eyes,\u201d writes Ishai on her website. \u201cI share my insights, my perspective and my thoughts about Judaism, growth, Israel and everything in between. In courageously showing up as a proud Jewish woman, I hope to inspire my community to unleash their Jewish soul within.\u201d<\/p>\n Jordana Corenblum, president of NJCWC Vancouver, said the goal of the recent event was \u201cto create a community-wide, grassroots gathering, free and accessible, where women and children from different backgrounds could come together in a warm, inclusive environment.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The event was supported by many Jewish community partners, including Congregation Beth Israel, Congregation Schara Tzedeck, Chabad Lubavitch of BC, Chabad Richmond, Community Kollel, Congregation Beth Tikvah, Temple Sholom, Or\u00a0Shalom, PJ Library and Bitachon, a Jewish Federation of BC security volunteering initiative.<\/p>\n Yamila Chikiar, a member of the local NJCWC board and a Jewish Federation staff member, said the Challah Mom event was incredibly moving. \u201cIt was filled with energy, music, and a real sense of togetherness,\u201d she said. \u201cThere was such diversity in the room, women and children from different walks of life, ages and levels of connection to Jewish practice, all coming together with a shared openness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat translated quickly into a sense of belonging,\u201d she added. \u201cWhat might have started as a large gathering very quickly felt intimate, connected, and a moment of genuine community-building. Through baking, music and storytelling, Ishai creates an experience that feels joyful, nonjudgmental and unifying.\u201d<\/p>\n While NCJWC Vancouver has hosted impactful programming in the past, this event stood out for its scale, accessibility and cross-community collaboration. \u201cIt reflects the kind of programming the organization hopes to continue building,\u201d Corenblum said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis event was a reminder of what is possible\u00a0when community\u00a0is built intentionally, when it is open, collaborative and grounded in shared values. It brought together people from different backgrounds in a way that felt both simple and meaningful,\u201d she continued. \u201cAt its heart, it wasn\u2019t just about baking challah. It was about connection, inclusion and creating space for people to come together.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Lauren Kramer<\/b>, an award-winning writer and editor, lives in Richmond.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Anat Ishai, aka Challah Mom, energizes the crowd at Beth Israel Synagogue June 13, at an event spearheaded by National Council of Jewish Women of Canada, Vancouver chapter. 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