A group of students at the University of Arizona Hillel Foundation has come together to fight hunger, using skills they may have learned helping out in the kitchen at home.
They are members of Challah for Hunger, a national organization that connects students to raise awareness for social justice issues both at home and abroad. The UA faction meets for a few hours every other Thursday to hang out and bake challah together. The challah is sold on the UA campus the next morning, with the profits going to support social justice organizations that fight hunger.
Half of the proceeds go to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona and half to Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger. Challah for Hunger gives students who may not have the money to make charitable donations an opportunity to make a difference.
“Our Challah for Hunger chapter is part of the national Challah for Hunger organization,” says student organizer Bridget Ott. “We raise about $1,000 each semester to help fight hunger. While the challah is baking, we have a short Jewish learning discussion with a topic relating to hunger or tikkun olam (repair of the world).”
Challah for Hunger began in 2004 when Eli Winkelman started the first chapter at Scripps College in Claremont, California. Since then, it has become a registered 501(c)3 and has stretched to over 80 college campuses across the country. Each campus gives half of its profits to Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger and the other half to a local anti-hunger organization. The organization also does research and advocacy to find a long-term solution to food insecurity among college students.
Learn more about the UA Hillel’s Challah for Hunger chapter at
www.arizona.hillel.org/home/student/ChallahForHunger.aspx.
