Challah Cloth Craft

In following our guide to studying the Biblical Holidays, we have started celebrating Shabbat, or the Sabbath, every week. The basic items needed to celebrate are a table cloth, two candles, bread, and wine (which we substitute grape juice). The bread they make is called Challah bread and they have a specific cloth to cover it on the table. The reason for this is that it is Jewish custom to bless certain foods in a specific order and bread comes before wine in the blessings. However, on the Sabbath the blessing of the cup comes before the blessing of the bread therefore they cover the bread so that it is not shamed in not having gone first.

I wanted our table to look traditional so I wanted a cloth myself. The book we are using, A Family Guide to the Biblical Holidays, had a pattern for making one. I also searched for a few craft ideas online and settled for my own easy version. I bought a pre-made cloth napkin and used special fabric markers to make it easier for Gess to do it by herself.

I then made an outline of the words  Shabbat Shalom in both English and Hebrew on the cloth. In the middle I used the pattern provided in the book.

Then I let Gess color it in.

Now our table has all the components we need!