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others. Daughters. Sisters. Aunts. 
Grandmothers. Friends. 
More than 600 women of all ages 
gathered on the evening of Sunday, Sept. 22, to 
“bring the community together one braid at a 
time” at the annual RISE challah bake, sponsored 
by Partners Detroit in collaboration with more 
than 20 local Jewish organizations. 
Joyful music filled the air as the inspiring sold-
out event got underway at the Nancy Grosfeld 
Campus in Oak Park. We unwrapped our indi-
vidual challah-making kits, and special guest Giti 
Fredman from Just Bake It, based in St. Louis, 
walked us through each step in the process. We 
mixed flour and water, sugar, oil and yeast into 
a delicious dough. Dozens of volunteers wearing 
“Knead Help?” T-shirts weaved their way between 
the tightly packed tables and gladly jumped in to 
lend a hand.
This night was about more than the mitzvah of 

making challah, it also was an opportunity for the 
community to come together at a time when our 
unity, sisterhood and prayer are needed more than 
ever. Following the horrors of Oct. 7, RISE has 
taken on added significance. 

RISE challah bake inspires hundreds of women 
as annual event takes on added significance. 
An Inspiration

RANDI BERRIS SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

OUR COMMUNITY

“I AM SO GRATEFUL I GOT 
TO PARTICIPATE THIS YEAR 
AT RISE WITH MY TWO 
DAUGHTERS; AFTER LAST 
YEAR I WAS HONORED TO 
SPEAK AT THE EVENT AND 
SAY THE BLESSING FOR 
HAFRASHAT CHALLAH FOR 
THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE. 
IT WAS SO EMPOWERING 
TO BE SURROUNDED 
BY THIS INCREDIBLE 
COMMUNITY OF WOMEN, 
WHO CAME TOGETHER 
IN SUPPORT OF ISRAEL 
AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE. 
WE WERE ALL BROUGHT 
TO TEARS BY EINAV’S 
WORDS ABOUT HER SON 
ORI, AND I WAS INSPIRED 
BY HER STRENGTH AND 
RESILIENCE.”

— LIOR ZISSER-YOGEV

28 | OCTOBER 24 • 2024 J
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Stephanie Berke, 
Nikki Newman, Terri 
Thav and Stephanie 
Trivax get their hands 
dirty as they knead 
their dough. 

Shelly Rubenfire, Amy Berman, Ally Berman, Suzanne 
Fellows and Sherrie Singer with their challah dough. 

Einav Danino, mother of murdered 
hostage Ori Danino, is flanked by Matana 
Poupko Jacobs and Erin Steibel as she 
takes challah and makes the blessing.

