Baking Challah

Every Jewish family would save a whole week's earnings to prepare a good meal and baked goods for the Sabbath. We never had cake on weekdays. I enjoyed watching Mother braid the challah (a special white bread), and I learned how to bake.

Mother also baked for the other villagers to get a little extra income. For Easter, the peasants used to order large braided white breads called Paska. For the intellectuals--the priest, the engineer--Mother baked round sponge cakes.