UW Hillel hosts Challahween

University of Wisconsin’s Challah for Hunger held its third annual fall fundraising event, “Challahween,” on Langdon Street yesterday.

According to Emily Grant, community outreach intern for the organization, Challah for Hunger prepared about 20 batches of dough to make close to 250 rolls. She added the organization expects to sell them all before the end of the event.

In addition to selling challah, “Challahween” also featured raffles. Grant said members have also been in communication with many businesses on State Street for raffle donations.

Proceeds from the event were donated to American Jewish World Service Sudan Advocacy, an organization working to fight hunger in developing countries, and Relief Fund and Porchlight Inc., a Madison homeless shelter.

According to Grant, the national chapter of Challah for Hunger is required to donate half of the funds earned from selling homemade challah to the American Jewish World Service. The other half of the funding is donated to a local charity of the UW chapter’s choice. For the past two years, that charity has been Porchlight.

She said Challah for Hunger is important as a representative of hunger relief and advocacy.

Grant said Challah for Hunger bakes around five batches of challah per week to sell at Madison Fresh Market, MacTaggarts and online, with the help of 15 to 20 volunteers that prepare the dough weekly.  

“It’s a really good way to get involved in community service,” she said.

Leo Rudberg, freshman weekly mixing volunteer for Challah for Hunger, said he sees “Challahween” as something to benefit everyone on campus. He said he is trying to get everyone on his dorm floor addicted to challah and spread the word about community outreach.

“We get to bake delicious bread that people want to buy, and then the profits from that help people in our community,” Rudberg said.

The preparation for “Challahween” has been extensive and requires a lot of creative planning and strategizing how to make it appealing and exciting to people, Grant said.

Lindy Behan, senior coordinator at Challah for Hunger, said “Challahween” has seen significant expansion over the years.

“It’s gotten bigger and reached more people on campus,” Behan said.

Jenna Freeman, another senior coordinator at Challah for Hunger, said the organization’s event held last semester, Challah Street Block Party, raised about $800. She added they are hoping to reach that number again this semester with “Challahween.”

Challah for Hunger business intern Hannah Bern said so far this year, their organization has raised $1,500 through weekly bake sales.

Bern said organization members viewed the event as an opportunity to raise as much awareness as possible. She noted the organization plans to triple their weekly batches of challah for “Challahween.”