Baking For The Needy

A group of 13 eager bakers gathered at the Challah Fairy on Monday morning to bake cookies for those less fortunate.  The fourth graders from Adolph Schreiber Hebrew Academy of Rockland in New City (ASHAR) were participating in a day of Community Kindness.  The girls were baking approximately 100 cookies for "Project Ochel," a food-pantry type program, providing home-cooked meals to needy local families.

They giggled and laughed as they helped shape the cookies, used an egg wash and decorated them with smiley faces and fanciful designs using colorful sprinkles and chocolate chips, all under the watchful eyes of Challah Fairy owner Hannah Fischer. 

“It doesn’t matter what you put on them just make them personal,” Fischer told the girls.

Zoe, one of the young bakers, said she was happy to make cookies for needy children and she agreed with her classmates who all said they were having a good time.

Fischer also enjoyed the project.

“Wow kids, this has been so much fun,” she said.

Fischer said she hosts groups of children regularly for baking projects including sixth graders earlier in April who made challah.

Other elementary students of the New City school were scheduled to help with other community projects both indoors and outdoors. Third graders planned to clean up around Lake Suzanne as part of the "Keep Rockland Beautiful" Initiative.   ASHAR’s fourth grade boys were going to Share 24/7 headquarters in New Square to work with their Day Program participants and package food for hospital rooms.

ASHAR’s fifth through eighth grade students were going to the Rockland Campus of Visions - Center on Blindness to help spruce up the grounds and paint, rake, and plant flowers.

The day of Community Kindness is a response to a fatal epidemic in Talmudic times whose cause was said to be the lack of respect among students. The epidemic lasted 33 days. On Monday, which is the anniversary of the 34^th day ASHAR's students joined in activities designed to benefit the community.