A 35-foot challah in NYC aims to beat Guinness World Record

A 35-foot-long challah loaf unveiled in New York City on Friday is in the running to break a Guinness World Record.

Upper West Side Congregation Rodeph Sholom organised the gargantuan bake in collaboration with the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and the Orthodox Union, aiming to beat the current world record for longest challah: a 32-foot loaf baked by Grandma Moses Bakery and the Jewish National Fund chapter in New South Wales, Australia in 2019.

The challah, which measured 35 feet, 2 inches and weighed over 200 pounds raw, was braided at Strauss Bakery in Brooklyn and then loaded onto a truck to be baked in a kosher commercial kitchen in New Jersey, the only one in the New York area with an oven that could fit such a lengthy loaf. From there, it was transported back to Manhattan, where dozens of volunteers were required to help unload it.

Sarah Eisenman, chief officer of community and Jewish life at JFNA, spearheaded the endeavour as part of a JFNA initiative called Shabbat of Love, for which over 250 organisations partnered to help Jews organise and host thousands of Shabbat dinners across North America on 19 January.


The 35 foot long challah was baked in a tunnel oven at David's Cookies in New Jersey. It was then loaded onto a wooden plank and transported to the Upper West Side where it was unveiled at a day school's Shabbat assembly. (JFNA/Vladimir Kolesnikov)
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