Well, all it took was a global pandemic and a divorce to discover za’atar-infused Challah.

My first time making challah was 15+ years ago as a teenager, then again a few months ago (failed mission), this time it worked! I guess the saying is true: the third time is the charm.

I missed the initial bread-making craze during the pandemic, as I continued working (remotely), and exactly one year ago, my marriage ended, after about a decade of being married. In the wake of my divorce, I had a proverbial ‘crisis of faith’ (which I’ve chosen to see as a good thing), because it inspired me to want to connect more deeply with my Judaism, especially being Sephardic, and hailing from a country that has only two dozen (or so) Jews left in country. I sold the house he and I lived in, picked up and moved to a new (to me) city, and started fresh. We never had children, so it’s truly been a fresh start for me. I found a fabulous shul, and I’ve begun loyally attending for the past six months or so.

Last night, I attended a Challah baking class at the synagogue, and exchanged a heartwarming dialogue with two of the other Sephardic women there. I guess you could say I was inspired, because I decided to sprinkle za’atar on my dough once I arrived home, and voila! I haven’t tasted it yet, but it looks and smells fabulous. 🤎💜🇮🇱 🥰😊