Bread For Better’s Challah Baking Class. Credit: Andrew Y. Leigh

By Daniel Carver

Austin-based nonprofit, Bread For Better hosted a successful official launch on July 15, 2023 with a unique, charity-driven Challah Baking Class. The enriching event taught eager Austinites the art of challah baking, while also providing piping hot challah loaves to individuals experiencing homelessness. Bread For Better’s mission is to provide freshly baked bread to communities experiencing homelessness or food insecurity. The organization accomplishes its mission by hosting a variety of bread baking classes and donating the baked bread directly to those in need.

To further spread awareness and understanding of homelessness, the launch event featured special guest speaker, Chris Baker, the executive director of The Other Ones Foundation (TOOF), whose speech emphasized the importance of community in the matter of homelessness. At the close of the event, two dozen hot challah breads were donated to TOOF’s Esperanza Community, a transitional shelter for unhoused Austinites.

Bread For Better traces its roots back to the Jewish heritage of its founder, Ariella Benjaminov. In her Jewish Day School in Houston, TX, Mrs. Benjaminov first learned how to bake challah bread and became inspired by the concept of Hafrashet Challah, the practice of setting aside a portion of dough to go towards the community. Having its humble beginnings in her college apartment at UT Austin, Bread For Better has now grown into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that hosts a variety of bread events throughout the Austin community.

In the coming months, Bread For Better will be hosting B’nai Mitzvah projects and creating corporate team building events, where companies can engage in community giving while simultaneously creating fun events for their employees.

To learn more visit BreadForBetter.org or contact [email protected] or (512) 827-9064.