Challah Answer

10/03/2022

A. The challah is sometimes baked with dough laid on top that looks like wings, because on Yom Kippur people are seen as angels asking for forgiveness.

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B. Some people place dough in the shape of a ladder on the top of the challah, symbolically indicating that on Yom Kippur God decides who will ascend or descend the ladder of life.

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C. Some bakers include dough shaped like a hand on the top of the challah, symbolizing that we should be inscribed for a good year.

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D. One tradition is to shape dough on top of the challah that looks like a bird, or even to bake the entire bread in the shape of a bird. This symbol references the verse in Isaiah: 31:5, “As hovering birds, so will the Lord protect Jerusalem.”

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